


Only Together, Will We Survive

by BebeCakes



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Anxiety Attacks, Canon Compliant, Character Death, Eventual Romance, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Suicide, LGBTQ Themes, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Child Abuse, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Referenced Bullying, Slow Burn, Suicidal Thoughts, Trans Female Fujisaki Chihiro, Trauma, most of the characters are lgbt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-01
Updated: 2020-08-01
Packaged: 2021-02-20 02:48:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 21,490
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22075024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BebeCakes/pseuds/BebeCakes
Summary: What if, on the fateful night of the second murder, Kiyotaka woke up?Little does he know, that single action will drastically alter the events of the Killing Game.(story also features art!)
Relationships: Asahina Aoi/Ogami Sakura, Ishimaru Kiyotaka & Naegi Makoto, Ishimaru Kiyotaka & Oowada Mondo, Ishimaru Kiyotaka/Oowada Mondo, Kirigiri Kyoko/Celestia Ludenberg, Kirigiri Kyoko/Naegi Makoto
Comments: 102
Kudos: 541





	1. Weightless

**Author's Note:**

> Hiya! This is my first fanfic that I've written in quite a while. I'm pretty rusty, but I love these boys so much I had to write something about them. I got so pissed at the game wasting Taka's potential as a character, so I changed the events of chapter 2. If you didn't read the tags, this fic contains implications of bullying, suicide and suicidal thoughts. Stay safe, everyone.
> 
> Also, Chihiro is written as a trans girl in this fic. If that's not your cup of tea, then don't read, and don't bring up your issues with it in the comments.
> 
> I spent a lot of time writing this, and I'm planning to continue it, with future illustrations! Appreciate any critique or feedback ;D

_Kiyotaka sucked in a sharp inhale as he moved one foot forward - with only socks sheltering them from the harsh winds. He ignored how weird it was, not wearing his well-worn boots when he was away from home. Trying not to think about how uncomfortable it was to be standing shoe-less, where there was dirt, muddy water, and trash scattered everywhere around him._

_Kiyotaka didn’t want to think about many things in this moment, but most of all: how alone he feels._

_But once he took that first step forward, none of that mattered._

_And for the first time in his life,_

_Kiyotaka felt weightless._

* * *

Kiyotaka jolts from his sleep, gasping as he scrambles to sit upright. Out of breath, his gaze is unfocused as he clenches the fabric of his bed in an iron-tight grip, desperate to ground himself. The prefect’s mind is swimming, yet he can only focus on one thing at a time. So he decides to get his breathing back to normal first.

_Inhale…_

…

_...Exhale._ The words continue to repeat in Kiyotaka’s mind, helping him calm down as they have many times before. He echoes them, even as he grimaces at an unrelenting knot in his stomach. A weird feeling goes through Taka, leaving him with shivers. He’s known for his large range of unrestricted emotions, but even this sensation is new to the prefect. He doesn’t like it, but at the same time he’s too disoriented to pinpoint what it was.

As Kiyotaka’s breaths begin spacing out, he blinks as he takes in his relatively familiar surroundings. He’s in his bedroom, trapped at Hope’s Peak, as he recognizes the japanese calligraphy he had hung up beforehand. Taka tries to read the words, but his eyes refuse to focus on them.

The prefect swallows thickly.

He tries hard to not think about his dream. Though its contents were short and vague, Kiyotaka very well knew the context behind it.

He sighs in disappointment. Kiyotaka thought he had finally put the ordeal behind him, only for this dream to be an unwelcome wake-up call. It was only a matter of time, with how this sickening “game” of Monokuma’s seemed to reopen nasty scars for Kiyotaka, as well as cut new ones into him as it progressed. And the new mental lacerations had names: Sayaka Maizono, and Leon Kuwata.

Kiyotaka didn’t take Sayaka, Junko, or Leon’s deaths particularly well. He was pretty certain no one else did, aside from Byakuya. But the comfort of of solidarity wasn’t enough to stop their faces of abject horror from being burned into his mind. As the Chairman of the Morals Committee, _he_ was supposed to take charge, and to have everyone work together as a solitary unit. Though his attempts to build comradery obviously weren’t enough - if Sayaka’s murder at the hands of Leon were any proof. Kiyotaka knows he couldn’t have controlled their actions, but he still feels responsible in a way. He wonders if Makoto feels similar.

Then it hit him all at once.

Kiyotaka remembers Sayaka’s bloodied corpse, and the vacant look in her eyes. Then, his mind switches to the numerous spears protruding through Junko from numerous places, like a pincushion. Lastly, he recalls the face of Leon - hardly recognizable after being pelted by countless baseballs - directly to his head. Kiyotaka, along with his classmates, witnessed it all firsthand during his execution. He’s not sure if he could stomach another experience like that again.

Kiyotaka’s breaths shift as they begin to get shorter, and quicker. He releases his grip on his bedsheets, and clutches the sides of his head as his brain begins to hurt.

The images of his deceased classmates begin to replay _over_ and _over_ in his mind, with no reprieve. Kiyotaka moves his hands to his face, trying to wipe the remnants of sleep out of his eyes. He feels something damp in them, and he pulls back to look at his palms, only for them to be covered in water. Tears.

Letting the salty droplets spill down his cheeks, Kiyotaka gets up from his bed. He stumbles a few steps towards his desk behind the mattress. Picking up his watch laying on a stack of dictionaries, he gives into to his compulsive habit of checking it to focus.

“1:50 A.M…” Kiyotaka groans, lamenting his ruined sleep schedule.

Now annoyed and confused, Taka briskly wipes his face as he sits on his bed. It doesn’t make sense. He thought he held his composure relatively well after the last trial. Always up and about to lead the others, hanging out with Mondo, or looking tirelessly for a way to escape this bizarre killing game. But as Kiyotaka eyes his neglected kendo sword in the corner of his room, he realizes that he has never been in his room for this long, awake. There’s nothing to divert his attention from his more... _messy_ feelings, at this hour.

He feels more tears begin to form at the corners of his eyes.

Kiyotaka comes to the conclusion that sleeping, when his mind is so restless, is an impossible task at the moment. So he resolves to distract himself.

Ever since the trial, Kiyotaka had made sure to check his classmates’ rooms were locked and secured after nighttime, with no sign of disturbances. He knows it's a mostly pointless endeavor - the doors locked automatically, and are impossible to pick - according to Monokuma. Yet he knows that _some_ people among his peers that have a habit of carelessly leaving their doors ajar at night. It wouldn’t hurt to make double sure that everyone’s doors are locked, even though it was insanely late and he already checked hours prior.

Not to mention it was around this time of night when Sayaka was murdered by Leon.

But unlike that time, Kiyotaka isn’t sleeping soundly in his bed.

With his shoes tied (semi) neatly, he throws on his dress shirt. Halfway through buttoning, he stops. His fingers were trembling too much.

The prefect let out a breathless sigh - frustrated at his body not willing to cooperate. A bit of struggling later, Kiyotaka finally managed to put enough clothes on to be presentable. Peering down at his wrist, he looks at his watch.

1:53.

Kiyotaka can’t remember a time he was up and about, so late at night. And all because of that stupid dream. It must have been Monokuma’s second motive for murder, that inspired his subconscious to relive that horrible memory. And in a few hours, that incident will be exposed to his classmates-

No, stop thinking about it. Only focus on one nauseating thing at a time.

As Kiyotaka stares at the door, he should think about how he - the Ultimate Moral Compass - is about to go against the nighttime rule: _don’t leave your room at night._ The first one he’ll break in a very long time. Despite it not being an official rule, he respects it as a real one - as it’s designed to create order amongst his classmates. It’s supposed to protect them.

Which is why, as he opens his bedroom door, he’ll give himself detention tomorrow for breaking the rule. As long as he makes sure everyone else is following it.

* * *

_This shouldn’t take long..._ Kiyotaka thinks to himself as he closes his door, wincing as it slams a bit harder than he wanted it to.

He’s just going to do a quick check of everyone’s locks, and make sure everything’s alright. Tensions seemed thick after Monokuma announced his second motive for murder. But would anyone _kill_ for something like that? The threat of having his secret exposed feels mortifying to the prefect, but he certainly wouldn’t consider it means for murder.

Starting with Kyoko’s room parallel to his, he jiggles the lock with a shaky grip to ensure it’s secure. Feeling the doorknob stop as he turned , the prefect released it to continue to the next one, breathing a sigh of relief.

There’s two options for his second door to check: Mondo or Makoto’s. Kiyotaka pauses for a moment, as he absentmindedly walks closer to the biker’s pixel portrait. He shoves the desire to talk to his friend out of his mind. It’d be selfish to wake him up at a crazy hour like this! Which is why he makes sure to _gently_ put his hand on Mondo’s doorknob, and give it a quiet yet firm twist.

Though he doesn’t expect the door to creak open slightly, at the force of his touch.

“Huh?” Kiyotaka’s mouth stretches into a concerned frown at the door’s movement. Why was his door open?

He walks inside.

...

Nothing in the room _seemed_ out of the ordinary for the biker. His clothes were scattered everywhere, and many motorcycle magazines were lying on his mattress. Mondo’s knuckle dusters and other weapons were still in the places Kiyotaka saw them last.

...But where was Mondo?

Kiyotaka feels a pit grow in his stomach as he scans the room - no biker to be found. He carefully steps over the scattered puddles of clothes as he quickly makes his way towards Mondo’s bathroom. With a trembling hand, he opens the door - only to find another empty room.

“You’re shaking quite a bit there, panic prince!”

Kiyotaka leaps a few feet into the air as Monokuma appears behind him, looking into the empty bathroom along with the prefect. His reaction earned a hearty chuckle from the bear.

“Puhuhu, you’re such a spaz!” Monokuma laughed, then turned his head to Kiyotaka, “Whatcha doing in here, anyways? Last time I checked, this is _Oowada’s_ room!”

Kiyotaka staggers away from the mechanical bear, a bundle of nerves.

“I-” The prefect begins, his eyes wide in shock and confusion, only to be cut off by Monokuma.

“You’re not looking for his underwear, are you?!” The mechanical bear gasps dramatically, “ Puhuhu, that’s absolutely _scandalous_ from someone like you!”

Kiyotaka’s face grows beet red as he stutters to speak.

“Wh-That’s not-!”

“-The _Ultimate Moral Compass_ just wanted to sneak a peek at his best bud’s briefs while he was away, huh?” Monokuma interrupted again, faking a disgusted tone, “Well if you wanna know so bad, he wears orange tiger print! Now go back to sleep!” He attempts to shoo Kiyotaka out of the room.

Kiyotaka instead stays completely still as he attempts to yell in a commanding voice, _“Where is he?!”_

The bear tuts in-between his obnoxious giggling, “My lips are sealed! He could be here, there, _anywhere_! Maybe he’s not even alive, puhuhu!” The giggles turn into sickening laughter.

Kiyotaka’s heart stops.

“Wh-h- _What_?!” He chokes out as he stares at the bear’s glowing red eye, mortified. The prefect’s stomach begins to churn as Monokuma’s words turn his legs to jelly.

Monokuma’s laughter dies for a moment as he examines Kiyotaka, who’s covering his mouth with trembling hands in shock.

“The school's a pretty big place, kid!” He says nonchalantly, walking closer to Kiyotaka, whose mind is racing too much to notice, “Buuuuuuuut, since you’ve been such a good boy so far, I’ll give you a little _hint_!”

Taka’s mind snapped back to reality as he heard the word “hint”. He looks down at Monokuma with a scared look of anticipation. The bear pauses for dramatic effect, and each prolonged second feels like an eternity to the prefect. Monokuma leans in.

“He’s on the second floor, in one of the rooms you guys checked out recently~!”

It was a playful, mischievous whisper. Something about it makes the prefect feel even more anxious.

But now’s not the time for it.

Kiyotaka takes a quick moment to collect himself, wiping his face from any stray tears. He begins to run towards the door, almost clumsily tripping on several articles of clothing as he steps over them without care.

“Wait _just_ a moment, Ishimaru!”

At hearing his surname, Kiyotaka peered over his shoulder to glare at the bear, body facing the open door - ready to sprint.

He’s unnerved when Monokuma speaks quietly and flatly - his tone devoid of any hint of playfulness or sarcasm.

“You’re probably too late to stop anything.”

* * *

_“You’re probably too late to stop anything.”_

What on Earth is THAT supposed to mean?!

Recalling Monukuma’s puzzling words only made Kiyotaka run faster through the hall. If the prefect from hours earlier could see how many rules he was breaking at this moment, he would’ve likely had a seizure. But right now, Kiyotaka doesn’t care.

He’ll give himself a million detentions later, if it means knowing that his friend is ok _now_.

Assumptions are flooding his mind at what the bear was implying, as he entered the school’s main hallway. Was Mondo being attacked? And by who? Kiyotaka’s certain the biker could hold himself in a fight, but the concern for his safety doesn’t waver.

He finds the stairway to the second floor, and begins to sprint up the stairs while keeping his shaky grip on the railing. Kiyotaka’s struggling to not completely break down, as the horrific dread growing in his stomach spreads to his quivering limbs the closer he gets to the second floor. Kiyotaka ignores how his body is panicking. It doesn’t matter - his friend is in trouble!

His boots traverse the final step towards the second floor.

Despite there being no obvious differences to the second floor at night compared to daytime, something about it being devoid of any people immediately intimidates Kiyotaka as he enters.

He doesn’t know where to _begin_ to look. Could he be in a classroom? The pool? There were so many places to check!

Kiyotaka resolves to start checking each room as soon as possible, starting with the men’s room. Though as he gets close enough to the bathroom door, he hears something faint in the distance.

_“Are you trying to rub my failure in my face?!”_

The words were muffled enough that Kiyotaka couldn’t recognize the speaker. But they sounded angry.

The prefect peaks over the corner, towards the source of the noise. It came from the locker rooms.

_“Strong...I’m strong!”_

Kiyotaka immediately recognizes Mondo’s gravelly tone, as he pinpoints his friend’s yell coming from the boys’ side. He immediately runs to the door.

Wasting no time to help his brother in distress, Kiyotaka fumbles for his E-handbook in order to gain access into the workout room. Once he hears the click of confirmation, as he hears another muffled voice from inside, he throws the locker door open.

As the prefect stands at the door, it takes a bit to register the scene in front of him. He instantly breathes a sigh of relief at seeing Mondo, alive and standing, with his back turned away from the prefect.

“Oh thank god I found you, kyoudai! Is everything alr-” He stops as he notices a smaller person cowering in front of Mondo, recognizing their poofy brown skirt and auburn bob of hair.

Is that _Chihiro_?

What was she doing here?

His questions dissolved once he saw large tears spilling from her eyes, as she slowly backs away from Mondo. Chihiro’s eyes dart towards Kiyotaka when he called out to Mondo, but she seems too petrified to say anything.

Mondo, meanwhile, didn’t even acknowledge Kiyotaka entered the room, as he continued to scream.

“ _Strong, strong, strong, strong, strong, strong!!_ ”

Kiyotaka’s eyes widen when he hears Mondo’s unhinged yell. He had heard the biker shout before, but it never sounded anything like _this_. And the biker wasn’t even looking at the programmer when he yelled, instead choosing to stare at his shaking hands. The programmer let out a yelp in response, and accidentally tripped as she backs away from Mondo.

_Why…_

_...Why is Mondo acting like this?!_

Kiyotaka tries to move, to break up the situation, only to find him frozen to his spot. It’s not out of fear, but of utter _disbelief_. The Mondo he knew would never hurt someone weaker than him. He’s a good person - with an honorable moral code. And Kiyotaka’s first, and closest friend.

He wouldn't just hit an innocent person like this.

Which is why he doesn’t register Mondo raising a large object in the air, until he hears a booming shout.

“ _Stronger than **you!**_ ”

Kiyotaka then realizes the object in the biker’s hand is a _dumbbell_.

…

Is this real?

Is his best friend about to _murder_ someone?

Is he going to _witness_ Mondo murder someone?

Kiyotaka could only stare. Until he hears Chihiro’s terrified shriek.

“ ** _Taka!_** ” She cries, desperately trying to scoot away from Mondo on the floor - too shaken to stand up, backed against the lockers.

It was enough to snap Kiyotaka out of his stupor, while at the same time Mondo hunches over Chihiro with the dumbbell - about to bash her skull in. He gives one last, guttural scream as he moves to lower the weight onto her head.

“- _And stronger than **DAAAAIIIIYAAAAA!!!**_ ”

At the same time, Kiyotaka is already running towards Mondo, faster than he ever ran in his life.

Kiyotaka doesn't know what will happen. Maybe Monokuma was right, and he'll be too late to do anything. Or maybe he'll get there just in time.

But once he took that first step forward, none of that mattered.

Because to Kiyotaka, all that matters is not letting Mondo become a murderer.


	2. Over Your Shoulder

_“Do you think anyone will do anything rash, Mondo?”_

_Monokuma’s second motive was fresh in everyone’s minds, leaving Kiyotaka with a nervous feeling in his gut. Although he didn’t like suspecting his fellow classmates, he was still wrought with dread at learning what secret the stuffed bear had over him. Not even counting the trepidation he made himself suffer through when he was about to_ confess _it straight away, only to be shut down by Toko. He’s not sure if he should be disappointed or relieved._

_Kiyotaka turned his head towards his friend as they both exited the gymnasium, expecting a reply. But to his confusion, only silence answered back._

_Mondo was quiet as they walked through the hallway of the school, which was relatively empty as they were one of the last to leave the gymnasium. Kiyotaka looked at the side of his friend’s face, which showed the biker uncharacteristically deep in thought._

**_Crunch._ **

_Taka raised his eyebrows when he heard the sound of paper crumpling. Looking down at Mondo’s hand, he noticed the slip of paper Monokuma gave out was balled in a tight fist - his knuckles white. Kiyotaka frowned when he realized Mondo was beginning to trail behind him._

_“Kyoudai?” The prefect called out to him, stopping._

_“H-huh?” Mondo’s attention snapped back to reality, as he glanced down at Kiyotaka with an unfocused expression._

_Taka paused. He must have really been out of it._

_“It’s considered rude to ignore people when they are talking to you!” Kiyotaka turned to reprimand him._

_“Oh…” Mondo rubbed the back of his head, “...Sorry, kyoudai.” He excused himself. Despite his apology, Taka still felt concerned the longer he stared at his friend’s forlorn expression. He walked over to the biker._

_“Are you ok, Mondo?” The prefect asked - worry plain on his face. He put his hand on his rattled friend’s shoulder, in an attempt to comfort him._

_“I-” Mondo’s voice stuttered, freezing at the contact. Kiyotaka instinctively pulled away at noticing the biker’s visible discomfort. “-I’m alright, Taka. Don’t worry.”_

_The reassurance did nothing to steer Kiyotaka’s doubts. Mondo could tell, and quickly shoved his paper into his jacket’s pocket. Starting to walk once again, he put his hands behind his head to appear more relaxed._

_“Anyways,” He switched the subject, “M’ bored as hell. Let’s go to the dinin’ hall to forget about that stupid bear’s shit.”_

_Kiyotaka didn't pick up the subtle venom in the last past of his sentence._

_“No swearing, Mondo.” Taka chided him, though his tone wasn’t really a scold. He wasn’t in the mood to give his friend a proper one - not when he seemed so down in the dumps._

_Mondo groaned.“That stupid bear’s *stuff*. Better?” He reluctantly corrected himself._

_“Much better!” Taka approved, his face brightening a bit at his compliance, “And I can make us some rice balls, if you prefer.” He smiled. He thought of cooking for him as a reward for being so receptive to his nagging, but in reality he just wanted to make the biker feel better._

_Seeing his friend’s smile, Mondo softened his frown, and gave the prefect his own half-grin._

_“Hell yeah! Can’t wait to taste ‘em, kyoudai.” He ruffled his hair once Kiyotaka caught up with him. The familiar gesture made the prefect’s uneasiness melt away, as they walked to the dining hall together._

_Mondo acted normally after that. True to his word, Kiyotaka went into the kitchen to make dinner, and came back to the dining hall to find Mondo laughing about something with Makoto and Chihiro. It seemed that Mondo was just as upset about Monokuma’s second motive as everyone else was. And, gauging from Naegi and Fujisaki’s behavior, it was nothing to mark for concern._

_Taka hoped that dining together would at least ease their shared anxiety at what was to come tomorrow._

_After finishing up, Makoto and Chihiro left in preparation for nighttime - with the programmer leaving in a noticeable rush. Mondo stayed behind to help Taka wash the dishes, though whilst complaining that it was completely pointless - the bear would just clean it anyway._

_Taka was about to lecture him again on the importance of hard work and discipline, when he noticed Mondo’s plate._

_Other than a single bite, the biker hardly touched it._

_He paused as he stared at the platter. It was the last he had to clean, so by the time Kiyotaka begrudgingly threw the leftovers away, Mondo was already gone._

_“Hm,” Taka hummed in thought as he scrubbed the last bit of rice off the plate. After making sure it was stacked neatly on top of the others, he turned to leave the dining hall._

_“He must have not been very hungry.”_

**  
  
**

* * *

“ **_Mondo, NO!!_ **” 

Kiyotaka screams in desperation as he sprints to the biker. 

It feels as if time is moving in slow motion. No matter how fast the prefect is running, he still feels stagnant. But at the same time, it feels as if Mondo is lowering the dumbbell onto Chihiro’s head at a mercifully gradual pace. 

It gives him a glimmer of hope, in the midst of his frantic internal panicking.

When he runs as fast as he possibly could, Kiyotaka pushes himself to run even faster as he lunges at his friend.

Though Mondo was bigger and stronger than him, the prefect collides with his body in a surprising amount of speed and force. Knocking him to the ground, Taka finds himself on top of Mondo - hearing a loud **_CLANG_ **! from the weight as it drops to the floor next to them.

Adrenaline consumes Kiyotaka as he manages to pin down the muscular biker against all odds. The prefect’s heart is pounding as he clenches his hands tighter around Mondo’s forearms with a shaky grip.

He peers down at him, daring to look into the eyes that were, seconds ago, filled with complete rage. 

Except it’s gone.

The biker’s face isn’t contorted into absolute fury. He’s dazed, looking as if he is drifting off into space. Mondo almost appears _relaxed_ , as if he has no comprehension of the situation in front of him. 

Kiyotaka stares into his lavender eyes. Only for them to stare right through him, as if Taka isn’t even there. As he looks intensely at the biker’s face, the prefect falters - beginning to feel sick. 

After making sure the biker isn’t going to fight against him, he quickly turns to Chihiro - trembling in anticipation of seeing her alive or dead.

He finds her laying on the floor, though sitting upright - shaking intensely. Taking deep breaths, she still has a look of abject horror on her face. 

_Alive_. 

Kiyotaka releases a pent up sigh, feeling an _unbelievable_ amount of relief at seeing Fujisaki unharmed. 

Yet with the relief, comes the overwhelming sense of nausea. 

He looks down at Mondo again. Locking his eyes with the biker’s lavender ones, Taka feels the intense urge to throw up.

He’s looking into the eyes of his best friend. The only person he had truly opened up to, and in turn he thought Mondo had opened himself to him as well. Kiyotaka thought his friend disproved his previous presumptions about him. That he wasn’t simply just a violent and dangerous delinquent. That he wasn’t just a negative force of destruction and malice.

Their talk in the sauna had changed that. Taka had realized that the biker was actually an honorable and just person, with a few anger problems to work out. He’s personable, and passionate. The way he makes Taka feel when he ruffles his hair, or puts his arm around him makes him feel warm and at ease. Kiyotaka thought Mondo had a good heart and a good set of morals. 

But right now, Kiyotaka doesn’t know _what_ to think anymore. The same person that he’s pinning to the ground, was the same person that showed him true friendship that he had never experienced before. But at the same time, he’s the same person that just tried to _murder_ Chihiro. Conflicting emotions clash together in Taka’s mind, as he struggles to wrap his head around the situation. Looking through blurry vision as tears begin to spill from his face, Kiyotaka scans Mondo’s face for any sign of reaction. He’s disappointed to find the biker’s glazed expression hasn’t changed at all.

Taka inhales, feeling his grip getting even tighter on Mondo’s arms as he snaps.

“ _Why did you do it?!”_

His realizes he’s yelling in a shaky voice as his emotions catch up to him. All of the anxiety and fear he had been feeling since he awoke works itself up into a messy, climactic scream, as his face drips with tears and snot.

Tear drops spill onto Mondo’s face, and his glazed eyes widen at the cold sensation. 

Kiyotaka continues as he grabs the biker’s collar. 

“ _Do you know what would’ve happened to Chihiro?!”_ Taka cries, hysterical.

_“-To_ **_you_ ** _?!”_

The prefect’s head hurts. He has never felt so conflicted in his life. He feels relief that he stopped Chihiro from dying, but despair that Mondo _, of all people_ , attempted to kill her. 

How can a person he thought was truly good, try to do something so _horrible_?

He grips Mondo’s jacket harder.

Taka doesn’t know _what_ to think.

But all he knows is that he doesn’t want to let go.

**  
  
**

* * *

Chihiro manages to speak in a croaky voice, after what seemed like forever at trying to regain some semblance of composure. She can’t stop shaking. Not after staring death in the face like that.

“Taka?” She calls out to him, after noticing he’s gone quiet, and still sitting on top of his friend.

Kiyotaka slowly raises his head up from looking down at Mondo, instinctively feeling tense at the word. After all, it was his call-to-action when it came to finally apprehending the biker. He gulps as he remembers Chihiro screaming his name in a shrill, terrified voice. Terrified of Mondo.

He shoves that last thought out of his mind, as he remembers something much more important. Hesitantly, Taka lets go of the biker’s jacket. Right now, it was time to focus on-

“- _Chihiro!!_ ” He jumps off Mondo’s torso, and dashes towards the programmer in haste.

“Are you okay?!” He shouts, panicked - surveying her tiny form for injuries. She gives a small, shaky nod.

“I-I think I am…” She answers, and lifts a quivering hand up to Taka.

“...Do you mind helping me up, please?” 

Taka snaps out of his deep concentration, realizing that she was still on the floor.

“O-Of course! Terribly sorry!” He apologizes, and immediately helps her to her feet. 

Chihiro’s knees are still shaking, and has to use Kiyotaka’s arms for support. He looks down at her with intense concern, but focuses on helping Fujisaki stand. 

Then she begins to sniffle again, as the tears from earlier resurface at the corners of her eyes. Chihiro looks at Mondo, who was still lying supine on the floor. She whispers in a quiet, nervous voice.

“Did...I do something wrong... _?_ ”

The words squeeze the prefect’s heart, as he feels the genuine remorse in her voice. He doesn’t know the details of what transpired before he entered the room, but he could tell from the authenticity of her cries that she didn’t warrant what happened to her. He’s not sure anything could. 

Feeling himself choke up, he answers her with a reassuring hand on her shoulder - deciding against opening his mouth. 

Beginning to sob, she buries herself into Taka’s arms. The prefect’s eyes widen in surprise at the gesture. He wasn’t particularly close to Fujisaki, or _anyone_ besides Mondo, so the physical contact feels weird to him. Kiyotaka isn’t sure what to do. But at the same time, he couldn’t _not_ comfort her after going through such a traumatic experience only moments prior. 

So he lets himself awkwardly hold Chihiro, while she weeps into his uniform.

After a minute, her breathing manages to calm, and her tears begin to dry. Kiyotaka feels her weight on him lessen, as she gradually regains her footing. 

Then he hears a groan from behind them.

The pair flinch as Mondo groggily rises from the floor, into a sitting position. Taka feels Chihiro grip onto his sleeve tightly, as she slowly backs away from the biker - attempting to pull the prefect with her. Kiyotaka, however, steels himself as he forces his voice to sound as authoritative as possible.

“Mondo!” He shouts, hoping to gain the biker’s attention. At hearing his name, Mondo slowly turns his head towards Taka and Chihiro, yet doesn’t say anything. His eyes are half-lidded.

Frustrated, Kiyotaka moves to get closer to him, only to feel himself be pulled back. He turns his head towards the programmer, who’s almost on the verge of tears again. Noticing her shrivel up the longer Mondo’s disoriented gaze is on them, Taka stops.

Glancing between his frightened classmate, and his addled best friend, Kiyotaka clears his throat, determined to finally take charge of the situation.

“I think it would be best for you if I took you back to your room, Chihiro,” He turns to tell the programmer, as gently as he could, “Or anywhere else but here.” 

Chihiro gives him a tense nod.

“ _Please._ ”

* * *

**  
  
  
**

The pair walked down the hall of the second floor in silence. Taka wasn’t sure how to broach the subject, while at the same time Chihiro seemed to not want to bring it up. The prefect was escorting her to her room, should she have any difficulty with walking again. He made sure to lean Mondo’s barely-conscious body on the side of the workout room wall beforehand, hoping he would come to his senses once Kiyotaka returned.

The prefect feels exhaustion creep up on him, but he had long since resigned himself to the fact that he’s not going to be sleeping _at_ _all_ tonight. The only thing he can hope for is that Chihiro doesn’t feel the same.

He clears his throat.

“Do you think you will be able to sleep, Fujisaki?” Taka asks her. She gives him a small, forced smile.

“I’m not sure, but thank you for the concern.” She answers, appreciative. There’s a brief pause as they walk down the stairs, as Kiyotaka hesitates to ask her his next question. 

“...Can you tell me what happened?” 

Chihiro freezes, stopping at the bottom of the steps. 

“I…” She trails off, struggling to not cry again as the memories flash in her mind. Kiyotaka mentally slaps himself for hitting a nerve.

“Forgive me! I shouldn’t have asked so soon…” He feels his own tears form at the corner of his eyes in shame. The programmer holds a hand up after she quickly collects herself.

“It’s...really no big deal...Maybe I can tell you tomorrow, if that’s alright with you?” Kiyotaka gives her a firm nod, and the two begin to walk again.

“Besides, I should be the one apologizing…” Chihiro continues, regret visible in her voice, “...I was the one who broke the nighttime rule, after all.”

Those words made the shame Kiyotaka had been feeling twist his insides around. He takes a few, shaky breaths before he responds.

“The nighttime rule exists for a reason, Chihiro. It provides order, and stability. That’s what _all_ rules are designed to do.” He lectures solemnly, clenching his fists as he looks straight ahead.

Chihiro senses his disappointment in himself as they enter the first floor of the school. She clears her throat.

“You’re right, Taka.” She agrees, “If me and...Mondo didn’t break the rule, none of this would have happened…” Her words are pensive, and Taka visibly flinched at the mention of the biker. He has no _clue_ what to do when he goes back to the workout room to confront him.

His train of thought stops when he feels Chihiro’s large eyes stare straight at his, and he feels obligated to meet her gaze. 

“...But if you _didn’t_ break the rule…” She trails off, not wanting to finish her sentence. The silence does nothing to stop the familiar sense of dread from tugging at Kiyotaka’s stomach. He appreciates her effort to make him feel better about going against his own moral code - even if it helped save her life. But right now, it doesn’t matter. He steps in front of Fujisaki, and bends down to her height.

“That’s not what’s important right now!” He declares, his loud tone making Chihiro jolt.

“Um-” Kiyotaka immediately quiets himself at seeing her response, “-What’s important, now, is that you’re _okay_.” He explains in the gentlest voice he can muster, putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

Chihiro’s brief face of panic softens at Taka’s gesture. She gives a weak smile and a nod, and they continue their pace again. Another bout of silence embraces the pair as they continue down the hall. Taka worries that he made her feel worse, until the programmer speaks again, softly.

“Thank you.”

Her words were honest, and appreciative. It makes Kiyotaka raise his eyebrows in surprise - he didn’t think he did anything that warranted thanks. He’s sure anyone else would have done the same. But at the same time, it would be rude to not reply.

“...You’re welcome!”

They finally enter the Despair Hotel. Kiyotaka looks down at his friend, to find her shaking slightly again. He feels a pang of sadness, knowing that she hasn’t fully recovered from the experience. Chances are, she probably never will. If Taka has learned anything since waking up from his dream, it’s that events like that will never truly leave you. 

But at the same time, he wants to ease Fujisaki’s troubles - even for a little bit.

He reaches out, making sure to take Chihiro’s small hand as tenderly as he could. Kiyotaka isn’t very well-versed in comforting others - his limited experience at socializing to blame. But he wants her to know that he’s there for her - potential awkwardness be damned.

The programmer flinches at the contact, but doesn’t pull away. Instead, she grips his hand tightly.

And she doesn’t let go until they get to her room. 

* * *

Mondo’s head is swirling. His vision begins to clear up, and he’s able to take in the scene in front of him. He’s still in the boys’ locker room. But besides him, no one else was there. He could have _sworn_ someone yelled his name a moment ago. Huh.

Something doesn’t sit well with him, as he struggles to put together the pieces of what just happened. He remembers that Chihiro showed up in the workout room. Then, he recalls her confessing her secret to him. He remembers she called him _strong_.

A sickening feeling shoots through him the more he recollects what happened before blacking out.

He covers his eyes with sweaty hands, in order to block the annoying overhead light of the locker room - his head hurting. Everything feels confusing and scary to Mondo. Or perhaps, it’s only himself they’re directed towards.

He doesn’t even remember why he woke up on the floor, yet he already feels an overwhelming sense of pure _guilt_. Not sure what he did to make Chihiro run off, but he knows it wasn’t good. 

Especially if Mondo’s secret was involved. 

He sheds off his jacket - feeling claustrophobic.

Just thinking about his secret made him angry, alongside his guilt. He’s not sure which emotion he would rather be feeling, but both have long since worn out their welcome.

Biting his lip, he gets up from the floor, and staggers towards a workout bench to sit. Sinking down on the cushioned seat, his emotions feel slightly dulled as he focuses on how overwhelmingly _tired_ he is. Tired of being angry and guilty like this all the time. Tired of acting like everything’s ok, when it’s not. Tired of lying to those he cares about: Takemichi, Kiyotaka, his gang.

Tired of being a lie.

He’s exhausted from constantly looking over his shoulder, in case someone exposes him for the liar he truly is. Mondo’s scared of someone ripping off the mask he cultivated himself for _years_. Because once that mask his off, everything he’s lost will be for nothing. The countless nights without sleep. The nauseating lies he told to his gang about what happened that night. 

Daiya’s death would have been for _nothing_.

…

Maybe that’s why he could feel something inside him snap, as Chihiro poured her heart out to him. Jealous of her strength to tell her secret, when he had none. Because Mondo isn’t strong enough to take off his own mask.

Especially because all that’s left behind it is a dirty brother killer.

Anger and remorse shoot through him even more intensely when he thinks about Daiya. Removing his hands from his eyes, he checks to make sure they aren’t wet with tears.

They’re dry. Good.

Letting his eyes slowly adjust to the overhead light, Mondo gazes down at the dumbbell in the middle of the room. It’s a generic looking weight, but something about it immediately makes the biker nervous. Sitting ominously in the middle of the room, it gives him a bad feeling in his gut. 

He doesn’t know why, but it makes him mad.

Anger surges through him again. It’s not as strong as before he blacked out, but it’s still significant. It’s still annoying.

Mondo curses under his breath, as he walks over to pick it up. 

“Stupid fucking _secrets_ …” He mutters to himself, gripping the weight’s handle, hoisting it up.

“...Stupid fucking bear…”

He looks around the room, making sure no one was there except for him. Then, he throws the dumbbell to the wall, with enough force to hear a loud **_SLAM!_ ** as it hits the cement bricks. It falls to the ground, leaving a crater in its wake.

Mondo’s breathing deep from the exertion, hoping the action had given him some sort of relief from his frustration. It didn’t.

“Are you done now, Mondo?”

The biker whips his head around to find Kiyotaka standing at the door, hands on his hips. His tone was uncharacteristically cold for the prefect. Mondo swallows.

“You-” He sheepishly looks back to the crack in the wall.

“-saw that?”

Kiyotaka gives him a firm nod - face sterner than ever. Mondo feels himself shrink under his judgemental gaze. 

Bracing himself for a lecture, Mondo holds his breath. But it never comes. Instead, the prefect silently walks to where the dumbbell fell to the ground. Picking it up, he goes back to Mondo.

“That is _not_ how you put things away.” He reprimands him sharply, before putting the weight back into the cubby it was pulled out from. Mondo doesn’t know what to say to that.

“...What happened? Where’s Chihiro?” He finally asks him.

Kiyotaka inhaled sharply, and lets out a sigh.

“You really don’t know?” 

If Mondo thought he wasn’t uneasy before, he definitely was now.

“...No? All I remember is blackin’ out after talking to her, then I woke up on the floor.” He answers honestly.

Taka is struck silent for a moment. Mondo looks at his face, and finds him trying to blink away tears.

“Kyoudai,” Mondo says anxiously, “What _happened_?” He asks again.

Another bout of silence fills the room, until Kiyotaka replies.

“...You...attacked Chihiro.”

Mondo could feel his heart drop.

“-You tried to hit her head with a dumbbell.” 

His voice quivered as he answered him, and Taka clenches his fists as he looks into Mondo’s eyes, tears pouring down his cheeks.

“ _What?!_ ” The biker shouts, panicked, “I hurt Chihiro?!” 

Taka nods. Mondo looks at the open door behind him.

“Is she okay?! Is she out here?” He asks frantically, hurrying his way past Kiyotaka towards the door. The guilt and shock is making his knees weak, but he ignores it. He has to make sure she’s alright. She can’t be dead. She _can’t_. 

He’s not sure he could live with himself if he killed another person. 

Taka grabs his forearm roughly, preventing him from going any further towards the door.

“She’s alright.” He reassures him, wiping his face, “But she doesn’t want to see you. She’s in her room, resting.”

Mondo doesn’t react to Chihiro wanting to avoid him, instead breathing a heavy sigh of relief at knowing she’s okay. Clutching his loose tank top, he presses his hand to his heart - feeling its rapid beating settle slightly.

But after the bliss of finding out she’s alive and unharmed, comes the realization that he had tried to _murder_ her. Mondo swallows thickly - his throat suddenly feeling extremely dry.

“Is there something you’re not _telling_ me?” 

Mondo snapped out of his thoughts at Kiyotaka’s words. Or, more specifically, how he said them. He had heard Taka be angry and sad before, but this was something else. It was _icy_. 

It made the biker shiver.

“I-” He stutters, not good at being put on the spot, “I’m not sure what yer talkin’ about.” 

  
Kiyotaka glares at him, “So you don’t know _why_ you attacked Chihiro?” He asks, agitated. Doubt is clear in his voice.

Mondo is quiet.

“ _Tell me what happened, Mondo._ ”

The words were firm and demanding. They were eerily cold, but the slight tremor in his voice made the biker feel that it was the calm before the storm. He feels the obligation to tell the truth gnaw at his mind, but Mondo chooses to play dumb.

“L-like I said - don’t remember much. Blacked out, and woke back up after y’ left me here.”

Mondo doesn’t need to look at his friend’s face to know he doesn’t buy it. Kiyotaka narrows his eyes, but Mondo avoids his gaze.

“That answer-” Kiyotaka’s voice began to grow with frustration, “-is _unacceptable_ , Mondo!” 

The biker doesn’t know what to say to that, so he keeps his mouth shut. He feels a burning sense of shame and guilt - like a child getting caught in a lie to his parent. Mondo feels an overwhelming desire to crawl into a corner, but his ego refuses to move him from his spot.

The silence only makes Kiyotaka more angry - justifiably so.

“You _attacked Chihiro!_ ” He shouts through clenched teeth, “You were about to _bludgeon her with a dumbbell!_ ”

Kiyotaka waits for him to respond to that, only to be greeted with tense silence again. As he closed the distance between the biker and him, Taka grips him by his shoulders to make Mondo _look_ at him. Now forced to meet his gaze, the biker shuts his eyes.

He can’t meet the gaze of the friend he was so close to betraying. He's not strong enough.

The pressure from the prefect builds within Mondo. He _hates_ being cornered like this, even though he knows he completely deserves it. He can feel his mask sliding off. But the more it falls, the closer he feels like he’s being pushed over the edge. It makes him feel weak.

He clenches his fists.

Many negative thoughts flutter through him - pressuring him to make Kiyotaka _back off_. To make him go away, and stop giving Mondo that face of anger and bitterness that only makes his guilt grow the more he thinks about it. 

The biker freezes as Taka grabs his collar. He’s going to hit him, and it’s gonna hurt. But Mondo plans to suck it up and take it, in the small chance that Taka doesn’t leave him afterwards. 

But instead of feeling a fist connect with his face, he feels Kiyotaka wrap them around Mondo in a tight hug. Taka clutches the back of his jacket, burying his head into Mondo’s shoulder. 

“ _Why didn’t you tell me what was wrong?!_ ”

Mondo can feel his shoulder getting damp as the prefect sobs into it. His grip is rigid on his jacket, as if he’s terrified to let go.

“... _Do you not trust me?”_

Taka’s hysterical crying washes Mondo’s anger away. Because it’s only then, does he remember how much Kiyotaka cares for him. He wouldn’t hit Mondo, even if he sorely deserved it. 

But feeling his friend sob into his shoulder, the biker decides he’d rather take a fist to the jaw. At least the pain wouldn’t sting as much as knowing he damaged the trust Kiyotaka had for him. How, if Mondo actually _did_ kill Chihirio, he would have left him in this horrible game of death, alone.

Mondo hesitantly leans into the hug.

It’s a strange comfort - one he hadn’t felt since he was a kid. It feels nice. At the same time, Mondo feels guilty, knowing he’s done nothing to deserve it. But as he lets the prefect cry into his jacket, he knows that Taka does. Which is why, as he wraps his own arms around him, Mondo gives him a delayed response.

“...Chihiro told me to wait in here after nighttime.” 

Kiyotaka paused from his tears to look at Mondo, surprised he finally decided to talk. Though he shoves his shock away in favor of granting the biker his undivided attention.

“I won’t go into detail of what she said, outta respect for her,” Mondo continued, “But the bottom line is: she...she told me her secret.” 

If Kiyotaka were any other person, he would have thought Mondo’s words would have been funny. Or at least, ironic - being so considerate to a person you just tried to murder. But not him. He breaks away from the hug, staring at Mondo as he listens intently.

“Then…” Mondo trails off, sullen, “...Something just _snapped_ , Taka. I don’t know what it was, but I- I never felt anything like it before.” 

Kiyotaka’s eyes grew wide, “Was her secret really that awful?” He asks, surprised. Mondo shakes his head.

“Well, it caught me off guard, but wasn’t what made me mad.” He clarifies quickly. 

“Then what _did_?” Taka asks, anxious to see where this was going. Mondo could tell the curiosity had clearly been eating at him for a while. And the biker plans to comply - he’d been stringing him along for too long anyway.

He might as well tell it. No, he _will_ tell it.

“It’s-,” Mondo pauses, taking a deep breath, “-Because of my secret.”

And that’s all he can mention before his confidence immediately disappears. His heart is beating too fast, and Mondo can’t help but get annoyed at the tiny tremors coursing through his body the closer he admits to what happened. 

“Ah…” Kiyotaka reacts dejectedly, with little surprise, “...I knew it.”

Mondo felt the bitterness Taka had exuded earlier return with his words.

“I had a feeling...” Now it was the prefect’s turn to turn his head away in shame, “...Ever since we left the gym.”

Mondo bites his lip.

“Is that why you’re so pissed with me? Aside from, uh, what happened with Chihiro.” The biker rubbed the back of his head, “Your attitude earlier made it seem like I did something _personal_ to ya.”

He looks at Kiyotaka’s profile, to see him staring angrily at the floor, pouting.

“...It’s because you didn’t _tell_ me something was wrong, Mondo.” 

“Because I couldn’t tell _anyone,_ Taka.” He says gruffy.

The prefect is silent for a moment.

“You could have told _me_ , kyoudai.”

The term of endearment makes Mondo’s stomach twist into knots. He turns away from Kiyotaka, wrapping his arms around his stomach as the guilt makes him physically _sick_ . His words were the cherry on top of the _shame-sundae_ that’s digesting in his stomach as easily as a cement brick.

“I,” He begins, before taking a deep breath, “I can’t.”

Before Kiyotaka can open his mouth to respond, Mondo cuts him off.

“Taka, I’ve kept this in for so long. If I told _anyone_ , my life would be ruined. If I told _you-”_

He turns his head back to Kiyotaka. Mondo is shaking uncontrollably art this point - completely overcome with fear and anxiety.

“-You would hate me. _Everyone_ would hate me.”

“I could never hate you, Mondo!” Taka rebuffs, “Even after this.”

“Well you should!” He snaps. The prefect goes quiet. “I don’t know why you’re even willin’ to come within _five feet_ of me after the shit I just pulled!”

His booming voice echoes through the room with no follow up. Kiyotaka doesn’t know what to say to that - because he knows he’s right. It should be bizarre for Taka to even want to be _near_ him at this point. 

But he does.

“You’re not going to hurt me. I can trust that much.” Kiyotaka tells him.

Mondo stays silent.

“I don’t know why I think that way, but I do. You may have tried to do something...completely unforgivable. But I _know_ you’re not a bad guy, Mondo!” He declares, pointing his finger straight at the biker.

Mondo lets out an exasperated sigh - his mind can’t comprehend the level of blind faith Kiyotaka has in him. 

“You don’t know that,” The biker spits, “You have no _clue_ what I did!”

“Then _tell_ me!” Taka snaps back, growing frustrated.

Mondo huffs, and walks out of the locker room. 

He can’t do it. The biker can’t unscrew the years of emotional baggage he drilled into his mind. Not after repressing it for so long. He just _can’t_.

As he stomps through the hallway, he doesn’t expect to hear Kiyotaka’s boots as he catches up to him. 

And he doesn’t expect to feel Kiyotaka’s hand grip his own, forcing him to stop.

“Would it make you feel better if I told you mine, first?” 

Mondo’s eyes widen, and he turns his head to look at him. The prefect lets go of his hand.

“Huh?” He asks dumbly.

Kiyotaka crosses his arms, “If I told you my secret, would it make you more comfortable telling yours?” 

The biker surveys his friend when he says this - noticing the less-than-subtle tremor in his voice, and how he’s digging his nails into his sleeves.

“...Do ya _want_ to?” Mondo asks, doubtful.

“No.” Kiyotaka answers truthfully.

“-But that’s the difference between us.” 

Mondo waits for him to elaborate.

“I know I’m not great at reading other people, Mondo,” The prefect admits, “But I can tell you need to tell someone about this!”

Mondo stays quiet, not finding the strength to deny it. So instead, he starts walking again - slower this time. Kiyotaka gets the message, and speedwalks until he’s side-by-side with him. 

They keep walking in semi-comfortable silence until they get to Mondo’s room - though tension was still palpable.

The biker slowly opens the door, taking in a bit of relief as they enter his room. As he lets Taka in and shuts it behind them, he feels his anxiety decrease a bit - knowing there was no risk of eavesdroppers now.

But only slightly. He feels Taka stare into his back as he faces the closed door.

“I…” Mondo trails off, not sure what to say. He feels the incredible desire to confess everything to his friend boil over. All of the stress, guilt, and anxiety from years of keeping it all in hits him straight in his heart. It’s too much to take in. His paranoid “what-if’s” come in torturous waves. What if his gang disbands because of this? What if Kiyotaka, or any of his classmates leave him because of it? His lack of an answer causes him to shake feverently, as he grips his own jacket tightly.

“... _Promise_ you won’t hate me for it?” He croaks out finally. 

Silence. Until he feels a hand place itself firmly on his shoulder. He turns around, and locks eyes with the prefect.

“ _Man’s promise._ ” Kiyotaka says with an unwavering look of determination. 

Something about that phrase makes Mondo relieved, yet queasy at the same time. But after a long, drawn out inhale, Mondo finally speaks the words he’s kept inside for years.

“I killed my brother.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M SORRY FOR THE CLIFFHANGER ENDING! I literally couldn't find a better way to cut it off, there was so much lol. I'll try my damndest to not let it happen a third time. Also, I want to thank you all so much for the positive feedback I received for the first chapter!! I loved reading all the comments, and hope you lovely readers continue reading. And as usual, I appreciate any constructive feedback :D


	3. Feelings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Content warning! This chapter features images of blood. Also brief mentions of child abuse, and details of Daiya's death. Stay safe, folks!

The sentence was a short one - blunt. Barely above a whisper. Yet it felt impactful enough to make the room still with his words. Kiyotaka blinked.

_"I killed my brother."_

Said so simply, the prefect thought he heard him differently.

“...What?” He asked Mondo, disbelief clear in his tone. He was right. He probably just heard him wrong. He said something else. Something different. Something that isn’t-

_"I killed my brother."_

The words forced themselves into the front of his mind again, and Kiyotaka just as quickly shoved them away. Mondo hadn’t said anything yet! Not after he just said something that Kiyotaka was _positive_ he misheard. 

Though he didn’t like the way Mondo grimaced at his question. Or the way he began to bury his hands into the messy curls of what used to be his pompadour. Or how he made it a point to not even _look_ the prefect in the face. His reactions were slow, as if he couldn't process what he just said.

Kiyotaka’s chest tightened.

“Mondo,” He pushed himself to sound as stern as he could, given how much his anxiety was squeezing his throat, “You can’t...You can’t just _say_ something as serious as that, and nothing else!” 

But Mondo did just that, getting paler by the second. Kiyotaka’s eye twitched in irritation, and marched over to where the biker was sitting tensely on the edge of his bed. 

“This is _serious_ , kyoudai!” The prefect shouts directly into his face - fists clenched and composure lost, “I _refuse_ to let you be silent about what’s going on with you any longer!” His voice elevated as his frustration boiled over - the lack of communication between them wearing down his already-thin patience.

Yet once again, the biker kept his mouth shut. By now, even Kiyotaka had noticed his silence was his way of responding - or, more accurately - _not_ responding to stressful situations. Similar to how the prefect himself copes with those circumstances through tears and reinforced rules.

But this situation isn’t one he can allow his friend to stay quiet on. Mondo’s silence had caused _enough_ problems tonight, and the prefect won’t let him cause another one.

Kiyotaka put his hands on Mondo’s shoulders, demanding his gaze with a fierce glare. 

“Tell me the _truth_ , kyoudai!”

He’s determined to have the next few words be Mondo’s.

And as he hoped, the biker met his eyes. 

He expected to see several things when he got a good look at Mondo’s face. Mostly anger, but another part of him also expected to see a look of nausea as he imagined his friend finally understood the gravity of his words, and how he obviously said something else. 

But he didn't expect tears.

It wasn’t the first time he’d seen Mondo Oowada, Ultimate Biker Gang Leader, cry in the short time they’ve known each other, but it was rare enough to make his eyes widen in shock. But before he could open his mouth to speak, he was interrupted by a growl, as Mondo swatted Kiyotaka’s hands away in favor of hastily rubbing his eyes with his palms. 

After making sure no other tears threatened to surface at the corner of his eyes, Mondo stomped over to the chair by his desk - where his jacket was thrown haphazardly beforehand. The biker grabbed it roughly, and dug into one of its side pockets.

Kiyotaka was about to say something when, after a brief amount of searching, Mondo yanked out a crumpled ball of paper.

Immediately recognizing it as one of the slips of paper Monokuma passed out earlier, Kiyotaka's eyebrows furrowed in apprehension.

Mondo turned around, approached the prefect, and held it out in front of him.

“See for yerself.”

His words dissolved the righteous anger that fueled Taka’s confidence, leaving a sickening, unsure feeling in his gut. Noticing how he’d purposely avoided eye-contact, Kiyotaka hesitantly took it from his hands.

_"I killed my brother."_

It had to be an error. A mistake. _So_ _mething_.

But no matter how many doubts he had, or reassurances he gave himself, Kiyotaka wasn’t prepared to read what was in his hands.

**“Mondo Oowada killed his brother.”**

  
  


He read the paper twice. Then three times. Four. Five. It didn’t settle in any easier. Soon, Kiyotaka wasn’t able to re-read the words for a sixth - his hands were shaking too violently.

He couldn’t understand it. It was in perfect, legible Japanese, but the words written were ones that couldn’t connect in his mind.

Mondo killed _Daiya_? The same Daiya that Mondo had constantly praised, admired, and spoke fondly of?

“I don’t...understand…” Kiyotaka murmured, stunned, with his grip on the paper growing tighter with each word. The biker’s attempt to kill Chihiro was already stupefying enough, and they were only friendly acquaintances...

...How could Taka justify in his mind how Mondo could _kill_ the man he was closest to?

Eventually, he ripped his eyes away from the paper to look up at Mondo for answers. The biker was watching him intently, stiff as a board. Kiyotaka could have sworn Mondo looked as pale as he was, with how sickly he appeared. Posture almost as ramrod as Kiyotaka’s on a normal day. He seemed hesitant to say anything - his mouth in a thin line.

But after a few tense moments, Mondo slouched with an exasperated sigh. 

“Is it really too hard t’ believe at this point?” 

When Kiyotaka shot him a glare, as he angrily bunched the paper in his hands in response, Mondo immediately knew saying that was a bad call.

“ _Yes, it *is* hard to believe, Mondo!_ ” He snapped back indignantly, tears resurfacing on his cheeks, “I _refuse_ to think it’s as simple as that! You’ve told me how much you care for Daiya!”

“ _Well I did!_ ” Mondo retorted, voice elevating, “That fucking paper in your hand shows you! _I killed him!_ And I-” He stopped, choking up.

Mondo started to shake again.

“-I was about to do the same thing to...to Chihiro!”

Seeing his friend’s guilt, Kiyotaka’s eyes softened. Taking a deep breath, he put a reassuring hand on the biker’s shoulder.

“Kyoudai,” He began, and Mondo looked up to meet his eyes, “Don’t blame yourself for what happened earlier. You said it yourself, this was Monokuma’s motive that pushed you to act so rashly! This is exactly what he _wanted_ you to do!” That last part of his sentence sparked the memory of encountering the stuffed bear in this very room, hours before. Thinking back on Monokuma’s ominous behavior, Kiyotaka swallowed - his throat dry.

Mondo let out a scoff, turning away, “Jus’ cause you stopped me _this_ time, doesn’t mean I can’t do it again.” He made a weak gesture towards the paper in Kiyotaka’s palm, “...I’m already a killer. Jus’ as the bear said.”

Holding out his hand, Kiyotaka looked down at the paper. The single, thin sheet of writing that started this whole mess. Or, rather, the second one. The fact that something as small as this, could instill such despair and doubt into his friend…

...

Mondo’s eyes snapped to face Kiyotaka when he heard the sound of paper ripping. 

“Taka?” He asked, raising an eyebrow in a mix of mild shock and confusion as he watched the prefect walk over to the trash bin, dispensing the shreds of the paper. After the deed was done, Kiyotaka looked back at him.

“I’m not asking the paper, Mondo.” He stretched his arm in front of him, pointing a finger at the biker, “ I’m asking _you_! What happened to your brother?” 

Mondo’s grim expression twisted in consideration, and he returned to the edge of the bed with a long sigh.

“...Ok.”

Kiyotaka cocked an eyebrow, “ ‘Ok’ what?” 

“Ok, I’ll _tell ya_.” He could feel Mondo’s patience wearing thin with every word. 

The prefect’s face brightened slightly at his concession. Opening his mouth to respond, Mondo held a hand up to interrupt.

“Just, gimme a moment?” He asked, as he rubbed his temple with two fingers, “It’s...it’s a lot.” 

Not asking for elaboration, Kiyotaka nodded. 

“Would you mind if I go fetch us some water from my room, in the meantime?”

“ _Please_.” Mondo groaned, “M’ throat feels like shit. An’ I don’t have any lyin’ around.”

“That’s quite alright! I have a water bottle in my room.” The prefect assured him. And with no further objections from Mondo, he made his way to the door. 

“I’ll be back momentarily!” 

He gave the biker one more concerned glance over his shoulder before he leaves.

“...Just be ready by the time I return, alright?” 

  
  
  


* * *

Mondo nodded stiffly, eyeing Kiyotaka from the bed. He wanted to tell him to just hurry up so he can get it over with. If the past few years have taught him anything, it’s that it’s better to get things out of the way. And he’s not sure how much longer he can stand the overwhelming sense of dread anymore.

But he doesn’t get the chance, as Kiyotaka marched out of the room with a loud **_SLAM!_** of the door behind him.

And as the room stilled again, Mondo made an unfortunate realization as silence, just as tense as before, filled it.

He _really_ doesn’t want to be alone right now.

  
  
  


* * *

Kiyotaka unconsciously released a pent-up sigh as he let go of the doorknob. Realizing he was alone with his thoughts for the first time in what had to be several _hours_ , he began his march down to his door before he could think about how unbelievably _stressed-out_ he is. 

…

...

He realized he zoned out once he felt the cold metal of the doorknob in his grip. Swallowing as he opened the door, he noticed his throat was, once again, incredibly dry. Most likely from screaming and shouting. 

…

...He really needed to get that water. 

Entering the room, Kiyotaka felt a rush of cold air embrace him as he walked inside. Though he knows it’s simply from the air conditioning, the cold snap helped bring him out of his daze. 

Immediately, the prefect scanned his room for the items he needed. He kept a few water bottles around; his loathing of being wasteful ensured there were a manageable number of plastic ones on-hand. It was a recent habit too - saving them for whenever he would use the new workout room that opened up to them. For he and Mondo to exer-

...

His thoughts stopped once he felt a growing sense of discomfort wrap around his heart, but immediately resumed focus once he spotted a few bottles on his desk. Neatly placed on a napkin, a safe distance away from his dictionaries. 

Hastily walking towards his desk, the prefect remembered the last time he approached it. What was likely a few hours ago, now felt like _years_ after all that transpired during the night. 

Out of reflex, Kiyotaka looked down at his wrist.

“...4:32.” Kiyotaka mumbled. It was morning already. Suddenly, the intense exhaustion that had been prodding his mind began to pound instead. And he felt...nothing, really. Rather, his senses became extremely dulled. 

…

Vision getting increasingly darker, he realized he was about to fall unconscious - the desire to sleep on his desk almost impossible to resist.

But...he can’t! He can’t go to sleep now, of all times! He _promised_ Mondo he’d be back soon! He _promised_ the biker he would be there for him right now!

Kiyotaka felt a dim flicker of panic tickle his stomach as his eyes became heavy, begging his mind to wake up. But no matter what he told himself, the wooden surface of the desk underneath him started to feel intoxicatingly comfortable under...his…...palm………

…

...

_SMACK!_

Kiyotaka pulled his other hand away from his cheek, leaving a noticeable sting in its wake. It was a firm, hard slap, but he felt much more awake now that the pain distracted him from his exhaustion. For now, at least. He only hoped that it didn’t leave a noticeable mark…

...But he doesn’t give himself the time to check a mirror. Getting up from his position on the desk, he briefly wiped the small stream of drool from his mouth before quickly walking out of his room.

  
  


He hoped he didn’t keep Mondo waiting for long. Quickly growing annoyed at his lack of punctuality, Kiyotaka mentally cursed himself with how he could have done something as _selfish_ as drift off while his friend was waiting for him!

Kiyotaka struggled to pull himself out of his negative thoughts, when he noticed a faint noise growing louder in the distance. Rhythmic tapping sounds, like the heels of dress shoes.

His eyes shot up to the source of the noise down the hall. Noticing a figure entered the Despair Hotel, the prefect initially had trouble discerning exactly _who_ they were, aside from their tall and slim physique. 

Though as the figure walked closer, it was impossible not to immediately recognize the expensively-tailored suit and condescending glare of none other than...

“...Togami?” He whispered to himself in surprise. What on Earth was _he_ doing up so early? Around this time in the morning would be when Kiyotaka himself would normally get up, but he _distinctly_ remembers pounding on the heir’s door around 7 AM to get him to come to their breakfast meetings - only to be chastised by a disgruntled Togami before having the door slam in his face. Despite his word being hushed, Byakuya nodded his head in a way that meant he noticed his surprise.

The heir continued his walk down the hall, closing the distance between him and Kiyotaka. Despite being too disoriented to properly greet him, it didn’t prevent the prefect from seeing noticeable bags under Togami’s eyes as he grew closer. 

Did he even go to bed?

(...And if he wasn’t in his room, he was most likely in the _library_ the whole time…)

...Does he know what happened?  
  


When his gaze met Byakuya’s, his question was answered.

His eyes narrowed, the heir gave Kiyotaka a small, _knowing_ grin, as he strode past him down the hall. Taka could feel himself becoming rigid. More than he already was. 

He heard footsteps stop from behind him, but Kiyotaka doesn’t turn around. 

“I would put ice on that, if I were you. The mark on your face is almost as red as your garish eye color.”

He could _feel_ Togami smirk as he said it. Then the footsteps picked up once more, as the heir continued his stride down the hall. Kiyotaka immediately put a hand on his cheek, and winced as he felt the remnants of the slap. Face burning in embarrassment, he didn’t start walking back to Mondo’s room until he heard a faint sound of a door closing behind him. 

  
  
  
  


* * *

Godammit. Where the hell _is_ he?!

The tension stirring in Mondo is becoming too much. He’s a bundle of nerves, waiting in anticipation to finally tell his kyoudai what actually happened that night. Soon, it’ll be out in the open for Kiyotaka to listen. When it would be 100% more bearable to tell _one_ person first, rather than the rest of the whole goddamn class. 

...

Which is exactly why he can feel his heart pounding within his rib cage. Never been the type to handle stress particularly well, Mondo’s just hoping he doesn’t explode in _another_ fit of anger tonight. Though that’s not going to be easy, with how fucking long Taka’s taking with the-

“I’m back, Mondo!” He heard Kiyotaka loudly announce as his door swung open. 

“The hell you’ve been, kyoudai?” Mondo grumbled in annoyance as he looked up at his friend, holding a water bottle out in front of him. Which prompted a stream of apologies from Kiyotaka regarding his loss of time. Though he noticed something odd...

“...Why’re you covering yer face like that?” The biker got up, aware of how the prefect seemed to have placed his hand on his cheek in a way that seemed suspicious. 

“Ah. I was hoping you wouldn’t notice…” Kiyotaka trailed off, embarrassed. Yet despite his reluctance, he moved a hesitant hand away from his face, “It’s quite a-”

“The _fuck_ is _that?!_ ” 

Mondo, wide-eyed, pointed a finger at Kiyotaka’s cheek, which had a red handprint on it. The prefect waved his hands defensively.

“It’s really not a big issue! Togami suggested I only need to put ice on it, so I sho-”

“ _Togami_ did that?!” Mondo shouted in outrage, feeling anger beginning to boil under his skin. He got closer to Kiyotaka, wanting to see how bad the damage was. It didn’t look _too_ bad - it’d probably clear up in a few hours or so. Still, knowing that rich _prick_ was so entitled to the point he thought he could just hit an innocent guy like Taka for no reason, made him furious. 

What _also_ made him furious was knowing how much of a hypocrite he is. 

“What?!” The gasp from the prefect was able to pull him out of his thoughts, as he put a hand in front of Mondo, “No, he didn’t do this! It was self-inflicted!” 

Mondo blinked - the confusion dissolving his short fuse, “The fuck’s that mean?” He asked, incredulous. 

“It means I did it to myself!” Kiyotaka answered, sheepishly, “...I slapped myself awake so I wouldn’t fall asleep in my room.”

...Oh. _That’s_ what was keeping him so long? And it wasn’t the rich prick that hit him? He did it to _himself_? Mondo would’ve never known from looking at it. The more he stares at the print, the more it reminds him of his old man’s hand - which would frequently mark the side of his face in his childhood. Mondo instead chose to focus on how much it looked like it stung, rather than to continue that train of thought.

“Anyways!” Kiyotaka coughed harshly, distracting Mondo from the mutual discomfort growing between them. The biker’s stomach fluttered as he knew what he’s going to say next.

“We _have_ to talk about it, Mondo. No more avoiding it now.” 

It was quiet for a moment, before Mondo drew in a long inhale.

“Alright. Let’s sit down, first. It’s a long story.” 

  
  


Mondo Oowada is, to be frank, a coward. A killer. A selfish bastard that was stupid enough to hurt those closest to him. 

A liar. A cowardly, weak, selfish, stupid liar. If he could help it, he would carry the falsities with him to the grave. Because he told himself that this is what Daiya wanted. He wanted the gang together, and the only way to keep it like that after the accident was to lie. No matter how much it killed him inside, he kept the truth buried - to never be exposed to anyone. Mondo wasn’t happy with it. But he kept up the facade, because he thinks he doesn’t _deserve_ to be happy.

But as he stared into Taka’s intense, captivating eyes that demand the _absolute truth_ from him, Mondo can’t find it in himself to lie anymore.

So he tells him.  
  
  
  


* * *

Kiyotaka listened intently as Mondo spoke. Leaving no detail out, the biker told him everything. From the beginning.

He started with describing the expectation of taking over the gang once Daiya decided to settle down, and move on from the Crazy Diamonds. How Daiya wanted to find a job, a nice girl, and eventually become the dad he never got as a child.

Mondo’s voice grew quieter during that part, and Kiyotaka was unsure if he was able to continue. 

But after gulping down some water, he did.

The story shifted to how the rest of the gang would whisper things behind Mondo’s back - about whether or not Mondo would be good enough to take over the gang.

He’d hear things like, _“Kid’s tough. But he’s not *Daiya* tough.”_ , or other variations of how he couldn’t possibly replace the man that had built the gang up with his bare hands. He’d even overheard some guys trying to convince Daiya to stay with the gang for a few more years. The more Mondo described, the more Kiyotaka could feel his breath hitch in irritation. He knew how much the Crazy Diamonds meant to Mondo. They were his whole _life_ , there was _no one_ better to lead than him!

But Mondo continued.

The day Daiya passed the torch of leadership to him, was the day he snapped. The doubts and whispers of the gang were too much. Yet he did his best to carry on throughout the ceremony with an unassuming grin.

But behind the bright smile and attitude, the biker could feel his resentment at being in his brother’s shadow growing. 

He’d been jealous of his brother for many things. His book smarts. His ability to talk to girls without scaring them off. His charisma that somehow created one of the largest biker gangs in the country. 

The more he thought about his brother’s strengths, the more it made himself feel weaker in comparison. 

Once the ceremony was over, the rest of the gang drove down to a popular bar they frequented to keep the party going. Daiya and Mondo were the last to leave. 

And all it took was one more harmless tease from Daiya, that made Mondo throw Daiya’s jacket at his brother, and tell him to get the fuck on his bike. 

Mondo challenged him to a race. Despite Daiya’s attempts to calm him down, to talk him out of it, Mondo was too focused on proving he wasn’t weak. That, if he beat Daiya at the thing he was best at, he’d show everyone he was strong. 

He got on his bike without checking to see if Daiya was following. 

Kiyotaka found himself becoming nauseous as the biker described the reckless, _dangerous_ things he did in order to stay ahead of his brother. Ignoring red lights, weaving in and out between cars, and at one point even going _off-road_ , dozens of miles over the speed limit, as a shortcut. He mentioned how, even though Daiya wasn’t by any means a stickler for obeying traffic laws, he was _screaming_ at him to slow down by the time his bike caught up with Mondo’s.

But he didn’t. Hearing his voice only made Mondo squeeze the throttle harder.

  
  


The way the biker’s tone grew more quiet, alongside his grim expression, made Kiyotaka’s heart twist in anticipation of what happened next.

  
  


Back to the race - Mondo was barely keeping in front of Daiya as they both dodged through traffic. The goal was to make it to the bar the rest of the gang was at - which was only a few minutes away at that point in the race. Mondo was so _close_. Consumed by adrenaline, blinded by his objective to prove the gang he was worthy to lead them. By beating Daiya, the shadow that had been over Mondo’s head his whole life would be cleared, by the time this race was over.

When that thought crossed his mind, it convinced Mondo to drive into the oncoming lane. It was faster, as traffic was steadily building up in the right one. From his view, it didn’t seem like there were any cars coming. Daiya followed, doing his best to stay in the right lane.

It was the homestretch. Mondo could _see_ the bar’s neon sign in the distance, and the dozens of motorcycles parked outside. But before he could declare victory, he wanted to see his brother’s face. Wanted to see how he’d react, when his little brother finally _beat_ him in something for the first time. 

What he didn’t expect to see, was his brother mouthing something to him in desperation - the rushing winds too loud to hear him. But the look of fear on Daiya’s face was enough for him to notice that he was pointing at something ahead of him.

After a few moments, Mondo's stomach dropped as he finally understood.

_"Truck_."

Quickly, Mondo whipped his head around to the front of the bike, only to be blinded by the blaring lights of an oncoming semi, rapidly getting closer with every millisecond.

It was too late for him to get out of the way. By the time Mondo would’ve finished his next breath of air, he would’ve already collided with the front of the truck. 

His last thought, before he shut his eyes, was that it’d be quick.

Yet he felt something much smaller than the semi ram into his bike’s side, flinging him out of the truck’s way. Veering off the road until he crashed into some bushes on the side, Mondo was left dazed, injured, and out of breath. The sound of metal clashing violently together echoed in his ear.

Cringing in pain, he looked back at the truck, and felt his entire world shatter.

Illuminated by the stopped semi-truck’s headlights, he saw Daiya.

The man who raised him - his _only_ family - laying limp in the middle of the street like roadkill. 

Mondo couldn’t get to his brother’s side fast enough. Stumbling, struggling to hold himself together long enough until he finally collapsed by Daiya’s side. There was _so_ much blood pooling underneath him. Which quickly spread until it was surrounding both of them. Ignoring how Daiya’s breaths were getting shallower, Mondo _begged_ him to get up - his tears mixing with the blood on his brother’s face.

  
  


Noticing that he paused, Kiyotaka looked up at Mondo with tears already beginning to bud at the corners of his eyes. He realized the biker’s eyes were getting watery in the way he’d been accustomed to his entire life.

But he hadn’t seen Mondo cry like this. Not for himself.

And it seemed Mondo noticed as well - him halting the story to regain his composure. Gripping the fabric on his pants in a tight grip, his face furrowed in a way like he was trying to _will_ the tears away with enough concentration. 

The prefect opened his mouth to say something. But nothing left his throat. As with Chihiro, Kiyotaka found himself struggling to figure out how to respond in a situation like this. He mulled over what to say, slowly trying to piece together words of comfort in his mind - while watching Mondo furiously wipe his budding tears in frustration.

He wished Mondo knew it was ok for him to cry about this. It’s second nature for Kiyotaka, after all. 

And that’s when he understands.

If it worked with Chihiro, maybe it would work here.

  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  


Mondo freezed when he felt a hand firmly wrap around his own. Looking down, his eyes followed the arm to find Kiyotaka connected to it. His gesture surprised the biker enough to forget about his battle against his own emotions. Affection was nothing new to him, whether it was from Daiya, the gang, or Taka himself. But the gingerly way Kiyotaka squeezed his palm evoked a strange, unfamiliar feeling within him. One he hadn’t felt in years. Not since Daiya died.

Comfort.

As if the roles were reversed, it was Mondo who leaned into Taka now. This cozy, warm feeling of security, is one he couldn’t get enough of. Looking back on it, he felt something like this in the sauna, too, as well as in the workout room hours before - though he wasn’t able to pinpoint what it was, at that point.

And all of it was directed at this man: Kiyotaka Ishimaru. Whose posture he once considered stupidly rigid, helped keep him upright as Mondo sobbed into his shoulder like a fucking toddler. His eyes, which he initially thought were annoyingly intense and bizarre-looking, now helped distract him from the undercurrent of pent-up, _suffocating_ grief that threatened to swallow the biker up. When his vision wasn’t blurred by the large pools of tears spilling from his face, he couldn’t stop staring at them. Because they didn’t give Mondo pity. They gave him assurance.

It made Mondo feel like, for just a moment, he wasn’t weak.

It gave him the strength to continue, after a few minutes. 

  
  


Describing Daiya’s last moments went as easy as it could have been. The acute sense of self-hatred and regret that had long since made themselves comfortable in Mondo’s mind, felt significantly duller. It made him feel strong, with how he managed to push through the entirety of the story all on his own.

Though his firm grip on Kiyotaka’s hand while he told the rest might have helped. 

And with one last, exhilarated breath, Mondo was done. He released Kiyotaka’s hand.

He’s unsure what he’s feeling now. But he refuses to figure it out before knowing what Taka thinks of him now, after listening to the truth. The _whole_ truth.

Looking at his friend, he realized that Kiyotaka had started silently crying again. Yet his face remained weirdly still, simply letting his tears fall down his cheeks from wide eyes - registering his words.

“Mondo…” He began, though just as quickly trailed off after noticing the biker was waiting for a response. But Mondo could tell he was at a loss for words. “...I’m…” 

“...Sorry that it happened? You shouldn’t. ‘S all my goddamn fault.” Mondo sighed, his gaze downcast to the floor as he shifted in his seat at the edge of the bed. 

“Should’ve been me laying in the middle of that road.”

Then he felt two hands place themselves on his shoulders, and looked up to Kiyotaka giving him a fiercely sympathetic expression.

“ _Don’t say that_! Daiya chose to save you, Mondo! It was an accident. And I’m-” He paused, choking up, “I’m sorry that you held all of this in by yourself!” 

Mondo didn’t know how to respond to that, and couldn’t find the ability to agree with him. He felt Taka’s hands squeeze his shoulders.

“You don’t have to force yourself to talk anymore, kyoudai. But I want you to know-”

  
  


“I’m here for you. And I’m not going anywhere!” 

And when Mondo felt his face flush in response, he knew he believed him. 

“...Ok.”

Kiyotaka’s face softened to a small grin, and let go of his grip on Mondo’s shoulders. 

“...So...how do you feel, kyoudai?”

Mondo paused for a second, unsure how to respond. 

“I dunno.” Mondo answered bluntly, “But I guess I feel better than I did b'fore.”

The answer seemed to satisfy Kiyotaka, as he didn’t bother responding. Until Mondo felt a weight on his shoulder, and he looked down to find the prefect out cold. Mondo watched his normally furrowed eyebrows soften as he slipped into a peaceful sleep, and couldn’t help but notice how uncharacteristically relaxed he seemed. The prefect must have really been exhausted, being kept up for so long. 

That train of thought caused an involuntary yawn to leave Mondo’s lips, before he sunk down onto his bed.

His eyes closed, and he saw Daiya.

Like every other time Mondo went to sleep.

When he would picture his brother’s face, he would normally focus on the shredded, dirtied articles of clothing that barely concealed Daiya’s mangled form. He would focus on the blood that was oozing from his lips, nose, and forehead. He would focus on how the rising and falling of his chest grew weaker with each breath. He would focus that _he_ caused all of it.

But this time, he focused on something else. 

While he could never forget his brother’s face, he didn’t focus on his expression until now. How, despite the bruises and cuts, Daiya’s face wasn’t contorted into the look of disappointment and regret that Mondo always envisioned him with. When Mondo envisioned his lavender eyes, he looked...relaxed. As if, despite his death growing closer with each second, he looked content. At peace. 

As if, despite the fact that he was about to have his life cut short in any moment, he had no regrets. No resentment. No anger.

Now, when he thought of Daiya, that unfamiliar feeling of comfort he felt around Kiyotaka resurfaced. 

  
  


_"...So...how do you feel, kyoudai?"_

  
  


That question Kiyotaka asked him earlier echoes in his mind as his consciousness fades. At first, he doesn't know how to answer. Then he remembered Daiya’s smile. And Kiyotaka’s comforting touch - that still felt so vivid that it felt like Mondo was still touching him. And he felt…

...Good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the delay, but in my defense: this one's pretty fucking long. Also, I felt I needed more art for this one. And I was semi-frustrated with writing it. Hope you guys like it anyways! The next chapters should be a lot easier to write, so stay tuned ;p


	4. Silver Lining

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reminder for you guys that Chihiro is written as a trans girl in this fic! If that's not your cup of tea, that's fine, but please don't try to start up anything in the comments.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi hi! Bet you guys are surprised to see this update again! Sorry about the long space between chapters. My perfectionist ass really threw me into a writer's block, and I just had to take a break from this fic for a while. Sorry if this chapter seems lower quality, but if i didn't post this then I'd probably never would have, lol. ALSO! i'm sorry to say, but I'm not going to continue with the illustrations for the story due to me not having enough time/it contributed to my burnout. I'm sorry about that! I'm happy you guys liked the illustrations I did so far though, and I appreciate it. 
> 
> Anyways, thank you guys for reading and I appreciate any feedback or critique! Thank you~

_Ba-Dump...Ba-Dump...Ba-Dump…_

The sound of rhythmic beats slowly eased Mondo out of his slumber. His eyes still closed, he focused on the slow, steady thumping. 

_Ba-Dump...Ba-Dump...Ba-Dump…_

Was it his heart? He doesn’t remember his own heartbeat ever being this loud. But it wasn’t a bad noise. The more he regained his senses, the more warm he felt - especially his face. It was a foreign sensation, but it wasn’t uncomfortable enough to warrant moving away. 

_Ba-Dump...Ba-Dump...Ba-Dump…_

It actually sounded kind of nice.

_Ba-Dump...Ba-Dump...Ba-Du-_ **_BANG! BANG! BANG!_ **

Mondo’s eyes flew open as the beats grew louder and violent. But what met his eyes was plain, white fabric. Immediately, the pure white color made him think of Kiyotaka. And as he leaned his head back, he noticed that the cloth was rising and falling, as he had apparently had his face buried in his friend’s undershirt while the two of them slept. Not to mention Mondo currently had his arms wrapped around the prefect’s torso-

**_BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!_ **

Growing more aware of himself thanks to the obnoxious knocking, he quickly pulled his hands away from Kiyotaka - the prefect not even stirring as he was moved slightly in the process. Geez, he really _was_ tired. But Mondo thought it was a good thing in this case, considering the embarrassing posi-

**_BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!_ **

Alright. Whoever’s been knocking on his door for the past minute and a half has clearly signed their waver. And despite his deep sleep, even Kiyotaka is starting to rouse as the bangs kept getting louder. Mondo is officially ticked off, feeling the overwhelming desire to punch the perpetrator’s lights out for rudely awakening him and his friend - who clearly needed the sleep. 

**_BANG! BANG! BANG!_ **

Waiting for a pause between the knocks, Mondo quickly staggered off his bed and marched over to his door.

“ _The fuck’s your problem?!_ ” Mondo shouted as he yanked the door open, ready to face the asshole with as much anger as he could muster in his half-asleep state. 

If the prefect hadn't already passed out on his bed, Mondo would have thought the knocks were from him, with how loud and repetitive they were. Or Oogami, with how much force was put into it.

But he didn’t expect Naegi to be the culprit, with his fist raised as if he was about to knock again.

Makoto immediately let out a yelp at Mondo’s yell. Which was fair, considering the biker had already knocked him out once before.

“S-sorry for waking you, Mondo!” Makoto quickly stuttered an apology, his hands in front of him like he was prepared to block a punch, “But I was wondering if you know where Taka is?” 

“Huh?” Mondo asked, noticing how... _panicked_ the luckster sounded. He knew Makoto was nervous around him. But as he’d never seen him _that_ frazzled before. This display of fear was for something else entirely.

“Oh.” The biker said before Makoto could answer his question. He rubbed the back of his head, and pointed a thumb to the room behind him.

“Taka’s in here. He’s sleeping though, so let ‘im rest.” 

The look of elation on Makoto’s face as he visibly relaxed made Mondo quirk an eyebrow.

“Oh thank god!” Makoto let out a long sigh, as he placed his hand to his chest, “I was worried something happened to him, since he’s late to our breakfast meeting!” 

Oh. That made sense. And chances are, Kiyotaka’s gonna have a _fit_ once he realizes that he slept in on one of his mandated breakfast meetings. Which prompted Mondo to _gently_ close the door behind him, hoping to postpone that conversation by letting the prefect sleep for a bit longer.

“-I wasn’t really worried about you, Mondo, since you showed up late a few times before,” Makoto continued, stepping back to give the biker more than enough space as he stepped into the hall, “But Kiyotaka’s _never_ been late before. He doesn’t seem like the type to be late to anything, y’know?”

Mondo chuckled, knowing more than anyone here how uptight the guy gets about being punctual, “I get what you mean, man. But don’t worry. Taka’s just hanging out in here, if ya wanna see for yourself?” 

Mondo meant that as a joke, but surprisingly Makoto sheepishly tugged on his blazer’s sleeve.

“...Is that alright?” 

Mondo raised his eyebrows in a way that asked if he was being serious, “Uh, I guess so…” He muttered, scratching the back of his head. Realizing he was being insincere, Naegi backtracked. 

“Sorry! That was probably super weird to ask!” He laughed nervously, “I’m just...being paranoid! Both Monokuma and Chihiro have been acting really off this morning, so I was just worried something...” He trailed off, staring at the floor with a sickly expression, “...happened.”

Mondo bristled when the lucky student mentioned Chihiro. Knowing that soon he’s going to have to face her soon made his throat tighten, nauseously. But hoping he wasn’t too obvious about it, he swallowed as he waved his hand dismissively.

“Don’t worry, dude. Taka’s _fine_.” He reassured Naegi, “After all, I wouldn’t let anything happen to my bro!” 

The confidence in his tone helped Makoto’s smile seem less forced than it was, “Heh, I don’t doubt that, Mondo. I’m glad you two have each other’s backs!” His upbeat tone caused a small grin to sprout from the biker’s face. 

“Hell yeah! I’ll wake Taka up soon and we’ll both head down to the dining hall in a bit, ok?” He patted the smaller boy’s shoulder, and the force of his ‘light’ smack caused Makoto to stagger forward with an “oof’.

“R-Right. I guess I’ll see you two in a bit!” Makoto waved before he hesitantly began his way back to the breakfast meeting.

Mondo turned himself back to his door, and opened it.

“Oh, wait a minute! I forgot!” 

The biker saw his signature ahoge peek from around the corner as Naegi’s head came into sight.

“Monokuma wants us all to meet in the gym in an hour...Kyoko said we’re probably going to reveal our secrets there.” The smaller boy scratched his head nervously.

“So...just head into the dining hall so we can all go together, ok?”

Whatever bullshit Mondo thought previously about never hearing how loud his own heartbeat was, definitely was a lie in this case. The rapid pounding in his chest is the only thing he can hear now.

Mondo was about to force himself to say something to Makoto, but noticed that he could no longer see his spiky head poking from around the corner - likely already back at the breakfast hall by now. Thank _God_. He didn’t feel like explaining why he suddenly started to shake like a goddamn chihuahua.

…

In an hour, it’s all going to be out there. It won’t be the same as when he told Kiyotaka, no. Because Kiyotaka was too naive to know to stay away from Mondo. With a few exceptions, he expected the rest of the class to be far less trusting of him, and his violent temper. They’ll learn what he did to Daiya. 

And not just that, Monokuma’s forcing them _all_ to reveal their secrets. One after one, they’re all going to come to light...

...

...Mondo doesn’t need Hagakure’s clairvoyancy to predict that it’s going to be a fucking shitshow.

  
  


* * *

  
  
  
  


He felt cold. Why was he cold? Warmth was here only a moment ago. He missed it. It felt good. 

Nostalgic.

(“...Kyoud...ke up...”)

He hears a voice. Was that Mondo? It sounds just like him. He would know, considering they’ve known each other for so…

…

So…

...

...What was he going to say?

(Seriously, dude. We have to get up.”)

There’s that nice warm feeling again. He wants to sleep more, even though he can rapidly feel his awareness return to him as he felt something shake him from his sleep.

  
  


“...Wha…?” Kiyotaka mumbled, peaking a crusty eye open to see who woke him up. And to be expected, it was Mondo. Though from his face tightened in a grimace, alongside his furrowed eyebrows, the prefect could tell he was significantly stressed about something.

“Finally!” Mondo huffed as he took his hand away from Taka’s shoulder - and Taka had that uncomfortably cold feeling again. “Christ, kyoudai, you take forever to get up.”

“...I apologize…” The prefect mumbled groggily as he opened his other eye to survey his surroundings. Seeing the scattered and messy pile of clothes everywhere, as well as the large Crazy Diamonds banner at the side of his bed, Kiyotaka quickly registered the foreign environment.

“...Did I sleep here, last night?” He asked for clarity.

“Ya sure did. Went out like a light, too.” Mondo patted his shoulder. His _clothed_ shoulder.

He looked down.

“Did I sleep in my _uniform_?!” Kiyotaka sprung from the bed from where he layed. Face twisting in disgust, the prefect quickly answered his own question as he scanned himself to find he was completely dressed. Goodness, even his _boots_ were still on!

Mondo blinked, taken aback, “What’s the big deal? Sleep in my tank-top and pants all the time. My jacket as a blanket, too, if it gets too cold.” 

Kiyotaka glared at his revelation, “The “big deal” is that it’s incredibly unhygienic! Not to mention how dirty it made my uniform. And I need to go to my room to change _right now_!” He shouted, already feeling how sweaty and dirty his undershirt is as it stuck to his back.

He motioned to the door, before Mondo stepped in front of him.

“About that…” The nervousness Mondo displayed before resurfaced, “...Makoto came by earlier. He wanted us to come by the dining hall, so we could all go to the gym together. Monokuma said we hafta be there in an hour to...tell our secrets.”

Kiyotaka paused, quietly taking in the weight of his words. Then, he looked at his wrist. Seeing what time it was, the prefect’s eyes grew as wide as saucers as realization dawned on him.

“ _I’m late to the breakfast meeting?!_ ” 

  
  


* * *

  
  
  
  


Mondo didn’t know a human could move so fast without explicitly running. He peeked out the open door, into the hall, where Kiyotaka was already entering his room. The biker blinked.

“H-hey, wait up!” He shouted, his mind struggling to catch up to the prefect’s fast movements.

“No, I can’t idle any longer than I already have!” Kiyotaka shouted, despite seeing Mondo at the doorway. Already done unbuttoning his undershirt, he folded the article of clothing before kneeling down to make quick work of his boots. 

“I know you like bein’ punctual, dude, but this is kinda dramatic.” Mondo hoped his words would make Kiyotaka understand that he didn’t need to blow up _that_ much. 

Instead, Kiyotaka let out an indignant huff. 

“We’re already missing the breakfast meeting, I’ve overslept-” He went on, yanking off his boots while Mondo stood there, stunned, as his voice elevated in panic, “I feel disgusting, and my clothes are dirty!”

Mondo was about to comment, before he was interrupted by a loud, climactic groan of frustration as Kiyotaka buried his face into his fists.

“Urgh, _Why_ can’t I even follow my own rules?!” 

His shout silenced the room for a long moment. It seemed the prefect was a little worn from his rant as well, but he quickly smacked his face lightly to stave the tiredness away. And that was Mondo’s que to speak up.

“Kyoudai, you’re being too hard on yourself.” Mondo gave him an affirming squeeze of the shoulder, “You just need to calm down, and _breathe_.” 

Kiyotaka pulled his face away from his hands, and it didn’t surprise Mondo in the slightest to see tears already forming. Seems calming him down wouldn’t be as easy as Mondo initially thought. 

So he hugged him. 

And Kiyotaka reciprocated, curling his arms around Mondo’s shoulders as his breath began to space. If there was any silver lining to the shit-storm that was the night before, it was that it seemed Kiyotaka was a lot more comfortable with receiving physical affection from others. Not to mention it feels less weird for Mondo to hug him like this, after earlier’s events.

A deep inhale caught Mondo’s attention, as he pulled back to look down at Kiyotaka.

“...You’re right,” The prefect nodded, briskly rubbing his eyes as he collected himself, “I should be asking how _you’re_ faring through all of this...” Kiyotaka’s eyebrows furrowed in concern.

Those fiery warm eyes looked into Mondo’s, and he could only stare back. 

“-Especially since we’ll be revealing our secret’s in less than an hour. Will you be alright, Mondo?” 

“Huh?” 

“Naegi told you that we’re going to be revealing the contents of our secrets, correct?” Kiyotaka repeated, and Mondo blinked. Until he remembered Naegi’s words from several minutes prior.

“Ah, right-” 

“Wait,” Kiyotaka interrupted him, “I forgot something!” Well, whatever he remembered clearly deepened his frown.

Mondo gave him an uneasy frown of his own, “Forgot what?”

“Chihiro!” 

The name took a few seconds for Mondo to register what he meant.

Oh.

Oh _shit_. 

“Fuck!” Mondo buried his face in his hands, and immediately sat down on Kiyotaka’s bed, feeling lightheaded.

Mondo has no _clue_ what to do when he arrives at breakfast. Chihiro will be there, and would most definitely _not_ want to see his murderous ass sitting across from her at the table. The more the biker thinks about the imminent future, the more questions begin to shoot across his mind. How’s she going to react to seeing him? Will she freak out? Should Mondo try to explain himself? But the one that made his stomach churn the most was…

“...Do you think she told the others, already?”

Chihiro could’ve told them all what happened when Naegi came back to the dining hall. Or maybe she’d wait until Mondo showed his face at the meeting, and then make it a point to freak out and tell everyone. Either way, Mondo could feel his hands beginning to shake at the thought.

“Well…” Kiyotaka bit his lip, unsure how to answer, “It’s a definite _possibility_.”

Mondo groaned as he sank down on the mattress, devoid of energy to sit upright. 

“B-But that’s what we should be focusing on, right now!” Taka shouted, tugging Mondo back up with surprising ease. It’s easy to forget the guy is almost as muscular as the biker was.

“Right now, you need to focus on _apologizing_ to her!” 

Mondo choked.

“Wha- you expect me to just walk up to her and be like ‘Hey, sorry I tried to murder you last night, my bad!’ ?! This isn’t some minor fuckup, kyoudai, I tried to _kill her_!” 

“I know that!” Kiyotaka huffed, not enjoying his sarcasm, “But it wouldn’t be right to not let her know you’re sorry. If you feel remorse for it, then you should tell her that!”

“Of course I feel remorse ‘bout it…” Mondo turned his head away. Remorse didn’t even come _close_ to how shitty he felt about what happened. About _everything_ that happened. Not just to Chihiro, but to everyone else he hurt in his moments of utter fucking stupidity. 

“...But would she wanna even _talk_ to me?” Approaching Chihiro now, so soon after the attack happened, could _definitely_ cause more harm than good. And Kiyotaka seemed to know that as well, as his sharp red eyes began to stare through Mondo. Almost like he was reflecting on something.

“...Probably not.” He grit his teeth, obviously conflicted. 

Mondo sighed, and ran his hands through his hair at the side of his face. His pompadour didn’t survive the events of last night, so it was long overdue for a re-styling. He pulled his eyes away from the dyed strands when Kiyotaka cleared his throat.

“Can we just... _observe_ how Fujisaki reacts in your presence? Then we can determine whether or not you should approach her.” Leave it to Kiyotaka to make an emotionally delicate situation sound like a science experiment.

The biker groaned, “...Fine.” He got up, trying to re-energize himself to face, what was to be expected, a fucking _terrible_ day ahead of him. Kiyotaka followed his lead, springing up to his feet in similar fashion. 

“... It’ll suck, that’s for sure, but at least I won’t be alone, right?” Mondo tried telling himself with a growing frown. He meant that he won’t be the only one who won’t undoubtedly be mortified when Monokuma spilled all of their beans. But Kiyotaka beamed at him, and grabbed his hands.

“Of course not! I’ll be with you every step of the way!” 

The aura of unrelenting positivity was enough to make Mondo’s stomach squeeze from something other than dread for a change.

“Y-yeah, dude. Same here,” Mondo stuttered, turning his face away from Kiyotaka so it wouldn’t be obvious how much his cheeks were burning with embarrassment. 

They stayed like that for a few moments. Mondo wasn’t sure how long Kiyotaka kept holding his hands, until he looked back at the prefect once the heat in his cheeks subsided. Kiyotaka caught himself staring and let go of his hands.

“Ah! Except right now.” He quickly peeked at his watch, and Mondo swore he grew a little paler. 

“Right now, we need to get ready for the day!” He held his fists up with reinvigorated enthusiasm. 

The biker nodded, “Right. I should probably head back to my room…” He trailed off as he eyed the door. The notion of returning to an empty, quiet room made his anxiety flare up slightly. If there’s anything Mondo had understood from yesterday, it’s that empty silence like that is a gateway for his more _negative_ thoughts to fill his mind. Suddenly, fixing his hair didn’t seem so appealing anymore.

“Right…”

A long pause filled the air, and Kiyotaka raised an eyebrow in question of why Mondo was still standing still. Though his face wasn’t as impatient as from seconds prior. 

“I’ll make sure to get dressed hastily, and visit your room!” He declared, and Mondo couldn’t help but grin at his eyebrows furrowing in a renewed bout of determination. 

“Sounds like a plan, kyoudai.”

  
  
  


* * *

Makoto shifted in his seat as he tried to make it seem like he was paying attention to whatever Hifumi was rambling on about. Sitting at his usual place in the dining hall, he couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was definitely…

... _off_.

And that weird feeling came from different people.

He woke up around the same time as usual, and did his usual routine of hurrying down to the dining hall before he got an earful from Kiyotaka.

Except when he got here, there _was_ no Kiyotaka.

The prefect wasn’t there. In fact, he was only the second one to show up at the time.

The other person being Chihiro.

To say something was up with her was putting it lightly. She was her normal polite self, but would only engage with him in one-worded answers, letting any hopes of decent conversation dissolve as she seemed incredibly distracted - staring down at the table. Makoto assumed it was her lack of sleep to be the cause, with how defined the bags under her large eyes were.

Still, at the time, Makoto tried to ignore how the pit in his gut grew as more and more people showed up. But it was probably fine! Other than Chihiro, everyone else acted as normal as ever. 

But the fact that Kiyotaka Ishimaru, the one person he could never expect to be late for _anything_ , was almost an _hour_ late to one of the meetings he set up himself…

It made Naegi nauseous with the worst possible scenarios that could have happened. While he never tried to be the person to be paranoid about this type of thing, it was extremely hard _not_ to be. Especially after...

…

“...Is everyone here?” He heard the familiar, clear voice of Kyoko ask as she opened the door. 

“Oh! Not everyone!” Aoi answered as she jogged back from the kitchen, a donut in each hand. Sakura quietly followed behind, holding a small cup of tea between her calloused fingers. “Toko and Byakuya still won’t show up. We already knocked on their doors earlier, like you asked!”

Sakura nodded, “It’s… inconvenient, how uncooperative they are. We expected them to at least come here today, of all days.” She calmly took a sip of her drink.

“Are they serious?” Hifumi asked, gobsmacked, “They’re still acting stuck-up as usual, even though we’re about to have our secrets revealed in less than an _hour_?!”

Makoto shrugged, “They didn’t seem too fazed by Monokuma’s threat, yesterday.” He remembered how Toko dragged him along to the library, just to drool over Byakuya. Nothing seemed weird with her then. Or, more accurately, weirder than what was usual for the writer. 

“Regardless,” Kyoko scanned the room with her amethyst eyes, “It seems those two aren’t the only ones not here.” She settled her gaze on Makoto.

“And what’s the status of Mondo? I checked Kiyotaka’s room, and he wasn’t there.”

“Mondo said that Taka stayed in his room last night.” He answered. Chihiro lifted her gaze from the table at his words - the most movement he’d seen from her in the past hour.

He felt like he should comment on that, when Aoi piped up.

“Seriously? He got mad at me when _I_ slept in Sakura’s room the other night, but it’s fine for _him_ to spend the night at Mondo’s?” She huffed, before irritably biting into a glazed donut.

“It does seem to be a case of double-standards,” Sakura commented, nodding her head in agreement. “After all, there was no risk of any inappropriate activity. It’s not as if we slept together as a couple.” 

“...That’s right!” Aoi agreed, her ponytail drooping lower than usual.

“Regardless, it’s strange that Mr. Ishimaru and Mr. Oowada haven't even shown up yet…” Hifumi butted in, his words definitely _not_ helping Makoto’s paranoia.

“Oh yeah...Celeste’s not here, either,” Yasuhiro scratched the stubble on his chin, “Is everyone gettin’ sick or something? It’s super weird that so many guys aren’t here.” 

Kyoko hums.

“I’ll go check on her.”

Makoto gets up from his chair, “Oh, Kyoko! I can go, uh, if you want. You’ve already done enough trying to get us organized this morning.” He offers. The pale-haired woman shook her head, though a small smile crept on her face at his gesture. 

“There’s no need. Everyone reacts to stress in different ways.” She peers at the clock across the room, “I just need to make sure she doesn’t go against Monokuma’s orders. It’ll be quicker if I go.” 

Makoto nods, but his face is visibly worried at the implication of her words. Though he just as quickly bounced back.

“Oh, Ok. Hurry back, though!” He smiles, and Kyoko gave him a curt nod as she turned to exit the dining hall. 

Makoto sighed, and sunk back into his seat again. As he stared at his empty plate underneath his face, another was slid to the side of it, with a frosted pink donut. He looked up to find Aoi giving him a cheeky grin, as she made herself comfortable sitting on the dining table in front of him. 

“That was pretty chivalrous of you, Makoto!” She teased playfully, pulling another donut - chocolate this time - behind her back. As she quickly bit into the sweet pastry, Makoto took that as his cue to eat his.

“Eh, not really.” He dejectedly took a small bite out of the donut, “I jusht-” He swallowed “-wanted to do something nice for her, since she helped us out so much during the trial.”

The swimmer nodded in agreement, “Totally. I would’ve never guessed the blood on the wall spelled ‘L-E-O-N’!” She traced the letters on her palm for emphasis. “It’s almost like we’re in a crime drama series, or something. And Kyoko’s Jessica Fletcher!” 

As Aoi rambled on about some old foreign T.V show, Makoto found himself grimacing. Aoi’s words painted the bloody scene forever embedded into his memory. “11307”, written in blood, where... _Sayaka_ ’s bloody finger laid limp next to the wall. In a way, he _wished_ it was all fake. The blood was just for show, and _her_ and Leon were simply behind the curtains, watching everyone with their trademark lovely grin and easygoing smirk. 

Or maybe that was part of their act too. The more Makoto thought about _her_ bashful smile, and _her_ easygoing kindness, the memories made his stomach twist in bittersweetness. Despite Kyoko’s attempt to console Makoto about the set-up of the murder, he couldn’t get the nasty taste of betrayal off of his tongue whenever he thought about Sayaka Maizono. 

And it ate him up inside.

“Woah, you scarfed that donut down super fast!” Aoi raised her eyebrows, impressed. Makoto looked down to find his plate empty, save for a few crumbs and sprinkles. His finger was in his mouth, as he had unconsciously began sucking off the last bits of vanilla off of it. Sakura hummed in agreement, as she apparently sat down next to the luckster while he was distracted by his own thoughts. Makoto coughed, embarrassed at his own actions.

“O-Oh, right.” He stuttered, feeling his cheeks tint red as he pushed his plate away from him. “Guess I’m done eating, then?”

“Just in time, too.” Sakura nodded in approval, seemingly not caring at Makoto’s lack of manners. “It’s about time we make our way to the gymnasium.”

Makoto glanced at the clock. 10:45.

“Oh crap, you’re right!” He shot up, causing the rest of the class sitting at different tables to look at him. “What about Taka and Mondo? And Kyoko isn’t back with Celeste, either!” Makoto bit his lip, struggling to decide what to do. Should they go ahead and wait at the gym, and hope the rest join soon? 

Makoto was snapped out of his internal panic by a large hand on his shoulder. He looked up, to see Sakura with her effortlessly calm demeanor. Instinctually, he could feel his breaths get slower. 

“It wouldn’t hurt to knock on their doors, before we meet up with Monokuma.” Makoto and Aoi nodded in agreement at her suggestion, “After all, it wouldn’t be strange to think they’re already awak-”

She was interrupted by the sound of doors flying open.

“ **_I’M HERE!_ **” 

The shout echoed throughout the cafeteria, and everyone instantly turned their heads towards the exit. 

Kiyotaka stood there, red-faced and out-of-breath, looking like he just ran a marathon. Mondo stood behind him, looking significantly less frazzled. His hands were shoved in his pockets as they walked inside, and his eyes were trained on the table closest to the door - where Makoto, Aoi, and Sakura were sitting - with apprehension. 

Makoto stood up to greet them, stumbling as he got up from his chair.

“ _There_ you guys are!” He sighed, exasperated as he felt relief rush over him as he took in their unharmed appearances. “What happened? 

“Nothin’!” Mondo huffed, and patted the prefect’s shoulder, “Like I already told ya, Taka just slept in, ‘sall.” He narrowed his eyes in Makoto’s direction, almost suspiciously. 

Taka balled his hands into fists as he glared at the tile floor beneath them.

“I’m terribly ashamed for making everyone wait! I completely failed at maintaining my attendance at the breakfast meetings…” Makoto could see Taka visibly deflate at his admission, his eyes already becoming watery. “It _won’t_ happen again! Feel free to slap me if I do!” 

“Calm down, kyoudai. No one’s gonna slap ya.” Mondo put his arm around his friend while Kiyotaka wiped away budding tears. 

“Yeah, it’s not like you’re the only one who’s late!” Aoi reassured him, waving her hand dismissively, “Togami, and Toko are being massive no-shows. Kyoko went to go check on Celeste, too.”

“Ah, I see…” The frown on Kiyotaka’s face only seemed to grow. “If only I was here earlier, I could have ensured everyone attended.”

Mondo rolled his eyes, “It’s not the end of the world, Taka. You just slept a bit later than usual!” 

“Because you didn’t wake me up!” Kiyotaka cried, “Not only that, you spent _twenty minutes_ in the bathroom on your hair!” 

As the two bickered, Makoto felt the nervousness in the back of his mind dissolve. Listening to Kiyotaka and Mondo argue about whether or not a person needed such a long time to style a pompadour, it seemed as if the tension that filled the room previously never existed at all. He felt a grin growing on his face - his first genuine smile of the morning. It seemed everything was alright, finally. 

“Seems they’ve grown past their honeymoon phase.” Aoi whispered to Makoto. He could only assume that’s because it’d be too difficult to whisper to Sakura without making it obvious. Makoto chuckled, a bit too loudly, which made both Kiyotaka and Mondo turn their heads.

“The fuck you laughing at, Makoto? Even though I rushed it, you better not be makin’ fun of my ‘do!” Mondo snapped, bringing his fists together. The memory of his face connecting with them was enough to make Makoto flinch. 

“I wasn’t laughing at anything!” Makoto lied, holding his hands out in front of him out of reflex. Mondo seemed pleased with his answer though, despite his hostility earning a disapproving glare from the prefect.

“Good.” The biker huffed, as he ripped his glare away from Makoto in favor of giving it to the others in the dining hall. “I’m not gonna tolerate any bullshi-”

Mondo stopped his tirade, choking on the last word. His eyes grew wide as they locked onto something behind Makoto, and muttered something. Makoto couldn’t figure out what exactly, but it almost sounded like...

“...Oh _hell_.”

  
  
  


* * *

  
  


Mondo is at a loss for words. Because in the middle of his threat, spurred on by Makoto’s laughing making him self-conscious, he noticed something at the far back of the dining hall.

Or, more specifically, someone. 

And she was staring right back at him. 

Chihiro Fujisaki. 

She was sitting next to Yasuhiro and Hifumi, seperate from the others. It seems that the clairvoyant and the writer were the ones to accompany her at the far back of the room, both exchanging worried glances as the programmer kept her eyes locked on Mondo.

Her eyes had the same sort of anxiety reflected in his own, though she was much more composed. Like himself and Kiyotaka, she sported dark bags under her eyes - proof that she had just as much, if not _less_ sleep than both the biker and the prefect. But the way her face tightened into a grimace at the sight of him was enough to tell Mondo that his attention on her was unwanted. 

Makoto turned his head towards where Mondo was looking.

“Are...you staring at Chihiro?” He questioned, obviously weirded out by Mondo’s sudden change in demeanor. As soon as Makoto mentioned the programmer, Kiyotaka looked to where they were staring at as well, and his eyes widened in recognition. 

Mondo couldn’t find it in himself to respond, as fear quickly grabbed his throat. He was scared. Scared of this 4’10 programmer with the muscle definition of a twig. Scared of what she knew, and what she could tell the others. Or already _did_ tell.

“He probably already noticed how weird she’s been acting.” Aoi butted in with a whisper, concern clear on her face. “She barely said a word to _anyone_ this morning.” 

Wait. 

What?

“Hold on,” Taka spoke, and thank god he did, because Mondo’s nerves were preventing him from asking the question that was both on their minds.

“She didn’t talk _at all_? About anything?” 

“Nope!” The swimmer answered, to which Makoto nodded. “She hasn’t said anything. Hifumi and Hiro have been trying to figure out what’s up, while we’ve been trying to get everyone to meet up before heading down to the gymnasium.” She gave a little wave to the aforementioned writer and clairvoyant from across the room, and Hiro returned the gesture with a half-assed swing of his arm in return. 

The biker and the prefect exchange a glance, as relief overcame them. Kiyotaka more obviously. He let out a pent up exhale, which earned him a quizzical expression from the swimmer.

“Why? Was there something she needed to tell us?” She asked.

“What?” Kiyotaka choked up, visibly getting more nervous at the question, looking like a deer in headlights. 

“Well I-! I just- think it’s strange, that’s all! She just seems…” Mondo followed the prefect’s eyes as they looked over Chihiro, and noticed him swallow, “...very withdrawn, is all!”

Mondo mentally groaned - not knowing why he expected the Ultimate Moral Compass to be a decent liar. He was about to open his mouth to cover Taka’s horrific attempt at deception, when a familiar sound began to ring in his ears.

***** **_Ding Dong, Bing Bong*_ **

Instinctively, everyone turned their heads towards the T.V on top of the kitchen door. A glare crept on Mondo’s face as Monokuma’s jarring face displayed on screen.

_“Ahem-ahem, It’s getting close to 11 A.M! And unfortunately, no one’s become a blackened, or a corpse!_ ” Monokuma tutted, shaking his head in disapproval. 

“ _Which is so_ _boring_ _! Why can’t you guys be more like Maizono and Kuwata, and take some initiative?_ ” 

Mondo saw Makoto bristle at the mention of the popstar from the corner of his eye. Tch. Figures the bear would go for a low blow like that.

“ _Buuuut at least there’s a silver lining!_ ” 

The bear perked up, and Mondo could feel his stomach churn. “ _Perhaps one of you will die from embarrassment once we reveal your deepest and darkest secrets to everyone as a_ _class_ _!_ ” The bear cackled.

“ _Everyone, please meet up in the gymnasium in approximately 20 minutes! And just to remind you all, skipping is_ _not_ _an option!_ See you all soon~!”

The bear disappeared off the screen with his ominous last words filling everyone’s minds. Words that had a vice grip on Mondo’s heart, and made his head start swimming. 

He didn’t know what to expect, and even less about how to react to this. How do you react to the knowledge that your darkest secret is about to be revealed to your classmates in less than an hour? 

Already the worst-case scenarios are playing in his mind. He was already known for being a violent dickbag - him decking Makoto on day one was proof enough of that. Mondo still doesn’t know why Chihiro hadn’t told everyone what he did to her yet. Was she waiting until everyone gathered into the gymnasium? Probably to warn weak chicks like Toko, or Togami (who was one step away from meeting his fist if Taka didn’t interfere) that he was dangerous. 

And damn, Mondo couldn’t blame her. 

“Kyoudai.” He heard a firm voice from behind him.

“Huh?” Mondo looked around him, to find the dining hall empty - save for him and Kiyotaka. So much for leaving as a group.

“You’ve been staring off into space for a good minute!” The prefect reprimanded him, concern clear on his face, “I told the others to go on ahead, so we wouldn’t slow them down.” 

He seemed obviously uncomfortable with the idea of staying behind the pack, rather than leading it. But the fact that he still stayed with Mondo didn’t go unnoticed. Instead, it made his heart swell in a way that both appreciated his company, and feel guilty for doing nothing to deserve it. 

“Thanks man, I appreciate it.” Mondo did his best to give his friend a genuine grin, but he knew it probably looked more forced than anything. Kiyotaka nevertheless smiled at his praise, as his hand was tugged by Mondo’s in the direction of the door.

“Alright, let’s not keep everyone waiting.” Mondo exhaled. This was going to fucking _suck_ , but at least he’s finally going to face his secret. He’s not weak, and he’s not scared enough to freeze in the face of his deepest regrets!

  
  


“Um...Do you two have a moment...?”

  
  


A quiet, familiar whisper from behind him was enough to make Mondo go stiff, stopping as he was about to exit the dining hall. Judging by the absolute silence emanating from the room, he assumed she somehow shirked off Hagakure and Yamada.

It seemed like Kiyotaka wasn’t going to speak up either, as Mondo looked at him to see him staring right back at the biker, nervousness clear on his face. But despite the two’s silence, Chihiro spoke up again.

“...We can talk in the kitchen if you want? That way no one else will be able to hear…” The programmer’s voice wobbled slightly, obviously just as nervous as both Mondo and Kiyotaka. "...And I'd really appreciate if Kiyotaka could come, too."

As Mondo felt the hand he was previously tugging on tighten around his, pulling the biker towards the kitchen, he knew he was doomed. 

  
  
  


* * *

Mondo. Wants. To. Die. 

At least the sweet release of death would save him from looking into the eyes of someone who damn nearly embraced it. All because of Mondo’s own problems. All because of _him_.

That’s all he could think as he and Chihiro silently sized each other up, both on opposite sides of the kitchen counter. Chihiro kept her distance. It would make sense, considering she looks like she’s about to burst into tears at any moment. And so does Taka, as he stands between them like a mediator. 

Mondo doesn’t know how long they’ve just been staring at each other, silently. But he does know that the tension is thick enough that a knife could probably cut it. And it feels like that knife is holding itself at his throat, preventing him from speaking. After all, what do you say to someone that you tried to _kill_?

But soon he’s reminded of Chihiro’s strength, and unlike Mondo, she inhales deeply as she begins to speak. 

“I-”

“- _MONDO’S SORRY_!” 

The two whip their heads to the side to see Kiyotaka slammed his fists onto the counter, tears welling up in his eyes. He seemed to realize that he interrupted Chihiro, coughing awkwardly into his hand.

“Ahem! Er, sorry about that.” His face turned red. ‘I’m just...making sure you know, in case Mondo doesn’t.” He finished, awkwardly.

The programmer paused for a moment, and nodded at him with an uneasy smile. There was a beat of silence as she waited to make sure she wouldn’t be interrupted again - before she turned her head towards Mondo. 

“I was about to say…” She trailed off, breaking eye contact with the biker as she chose to stare at the floor.

“...I’m not going to tell anyone.”

“ _What?!_ ” Both Mondo and Kiyotaka shouted in confusion, making Chihiro flinch.

“Bu-But-” Mondo stuttered, finally finding his voice, “Why the fuck _wouldn’t_ you? I tried to _kill_ you!” He couldn’t rack his brain around it.

Chihiro looked frazzled at his yelling, but quickly collected herself.

“It’s because I want all of us to work as a group.” She said firmly. 

How.

Why.

What.

“What about _you_ ? Keeping that to yourself won’t do you any good! It’ll just make you feel like _trash_!” Mondo felt his voice quiver.

The programmer folded her hands as she thought of an answer.

“I’ll be fine. All I care about...” She stares out the kitchen window, towards the dining hall doors.

“...is for us to all get along. We can’t do that if everyone starts to doubt you, Mondo. And I’m willing to stay quiet about it if it means that doesn’t happen.”

Sometimes Mondo can’t fathom how selfless people can be. He grimaced as a twinge of jealousy tugged at his stomach.

“Chihiro…” Kiyotaka choked up, as he wiped his face of any lingering tears, and gave her a face of pure gratitude, “...Thank you!” 

She gave him a weak, appreciative smile, but immediately steeled herself as her brows furrowed in resolve.

  
“But...J-Just because I’m not _telling_ anyone, doesn’t mean I can just... _let go_ of what you did…” She said quiet, uneasy, “...for now, at least…I’m sorry.”

Now Mondo realized why she insisted Ishimaru come with them, too.

She was afraid of him.

At that, Mondo couldn’t help but feel guilt tug at his heartstrings as he saw the usually sweet, timid girl look at him with sad, betrayed eyes. 

“...I just want to know _why_.”

Kiyotaka shifted where he stood, looking like he desperately wanted to blurt something else out again, but seemed to realize that this was no longer a conversation with him in it, judging by how Chihiro was looking only at the biker. 

It was just Chihiro and Mondo, now.

“...Did Monokuma do something to you?” Well, in a way…. She looked hopeful that was the answer. But as Mondo was silent, her face shriveled up.

“...Or was it _me_? What I told yo-”

“ _NO_ !” Mondo shouted, refusing to let her think that train of thought any longer, “It wasn’t because of _you_!” He tried to prevent his voice from getting any louder as to not scare Chihiro or alert any other lingering students to their whereabouts, but it was extremely difficult with how much emotional turmoil was brewing within the biker.

“It was all because of _me_!” He shouted, voice cracking. It echoed across the room, and it once again, grew into that awkward and tense silence Mondo hated so much.

“I’m…” Mondo trailed off, not having a _clue_ what to say. _I’m an idiot_ ? Probably won’t help anything. _I’m sorry_? It feels like it’s too late to have that mean anything…

“...I’m weak.”

Chihiro seemed puzzled, while Kiyotaka looked as if he wanted to object. Silence returned, gracing them in a familiar tense atmosphere. Mondo could only look down in the floor in defeat. 

“...We should probably go now.” He glanced up to see Kiyotaka looking down at his wristwatch. “Only five minutes left…” It seems Mondo and Chihiro aren’t the only ones out of their comfort zones. He could hardly imagine the prefect wanting to be anything but early to a meeting.

_He stayed behind because of you, dumbass._

“...You’re right.” Chihiro’s shy voice broke him out of his thoughts, as she walked to the kitchen door. She turned around to the two of them, but her eyes once again laid on Mondo’s. Her mouth opened to say something, but quickly shut again.

Then she turned, and left the room. Neither Mondo or Kiyotaka moved until they heard the sound of the dining hall doors swing open and shut.

One part of Mondo wanted to follow her, to accompany her to the gym along with Taka as if they were all just friends. Part of him couldn’t help but feel like Chihiro was someone important to him. Someone he cared about.

Was that why he felt this sinking feeling, at the realization that things between them will _never_ be the same again? 

Mondo inhaled deeply, balling his hands into fists as he once again understood the weight of his actions _far too late_. 

“Kyoudai, we should...probably go now, as well.” He heard Kiyotaka from behind him - his usual booming voice soft from the difficult confrontation moments prior. 

Mondo kept quiet, as not _only_ had he just betrayed Chihiro, fought with Taka, and confess about Daiya’s death happened in the past few hours, but now he’s going to have to carry on with having his secret exposed _again_ , to his entire class.

He let out a light chuckle, figuring this was a good enough punishment for his life’s constant fuckups. 

“Alright. Fuckin’ bring it.”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter should be pretty short and sweet, and it's going to focus more on Kyoko and Celeste. Hope you guys stick around!


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